


For You (Miraculous AU)

by TheoreticalDreamer



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Miraculous Ladybug Fusion, F/M, Reverse Crush (Miraculous Ladybug)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 44,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27366142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheoreticalDreamer/pseuds/TheoreticalDreamer
Summary: When Adrien Agreste faces a difficult breakup, he is left vulnerable and alone. Feeling nothing but pain and rejection, he unconsciously builds up an emotional wall so strong, that no one can break it.Everything changes when a new student, Marinette Dupain Cheng enters his broken life.***This is an Adrienette AU with no superheroes or kwamies.*I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or the characters.*This story is imported from Wattpad, and I am the original author of this story. This is the EDITED version of this story.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 39
Kudos: 84





	1. Prologue

He entered the local flower shop down the road with a smile on his face. He slowly browsed the shop until his eyes fell on a bouquet of beautiful red roses.

These are perfect!

With the exotic flowers resting in his arms, he made his way over to the till.

"Who's the special lady?" The cashier asked with a smirk plastered upon his face.

Adrien smiled to himself, then looked at the man who appeared to be in his late thirties, "It's for my girlfriend. Today is her birthday, and I wanted to surprise her with a gift."

The brown eyed man smiled as he took the money, "Here you go. I hope your evening is splendid!"

"Thanks, it will be."

Without a single second to waste, Adrien was already out of the door and on his way to his girlfriend's apartment.

He felt proud as he remembered all the past moments that they had spent together. She was perfect, and he wouldn't even hesitate to give her the world. 

The walk wasn't too long, but he eventually made it to the front door. He took in a deep breath as his hand gripped the gold doorknob.

As the door swang open, he was greeted by a bright, yellow hue as the sunlight struck his sculptured face. After a moment, his eyes adjusted to the light and he began to climb the stairs.

As he reached the top, he heard some very strange noises coming from behind the bedroom door.

His heart began to race, and his face felt hot. He shut his eyes; hoping and praying that his assumptions were false.

After three seconds, his trembling hand pushed the door open. His eyes were not prepared for what stood before him.

"Kagami!?" He shouted, as he felt the betrayal intensity.

The girl immediately stood up, and said nothing. She just watched her boyfriend look at her with tears building up in his forest green eyes. She attempted to say something, but her words were trapped above the ever increasing feelings of guilt and regret. 

Timeless moments had passed, and still the blond remained silent. He could feel the life being sucked out of his body as he just stood there, emotionless.

Without a single word, he turned his back to the girl that he once loved with all of his heart.

The roses fell to the ground as she began to run after him, but he only continued to walk away from her. Without saying anything, she knew it was over. 

With his body fading away into a silhouette, she dropped to the ground. She began to weep, knowing that she had just made a terrible mistake. 

Adrien couldn't even turn around to look at her. His heart shattered in that very instant, and he could feel the rage begin to flow from within. 

His vision began to blur, and his heart rate increased. At that very instant he felt defeated. He had given her everything, and she threw it away like it was nothing. 

With the betrayal never leaving, he punched the wall with his fists. He screamed as the tears began to flow down his cheeks. It was over, and that was hard to accept. 

Just moments before, he was planning to spend the evening with the love of his life, but now he was alone sobbing on the cold floor. 

No matter how much he tried, he would never be able to turn back the clock, and that terrified him to the core.

He would have to start over from the very beginning. 

As he stood up from the ground, he clenched his fists and stared at the wall. He could feel all sense of emotion leaving his broken soul, as if he were but a shell.

He denied his feelings, and wished to no longer feel anything, as the icy rope of negativity wrapped itself around his beaten spirit.

He was no longer the Adrien Agreste that the world knew and loved; he was a stranger.

***


	2. Chapter One

As a heavenly sound resonated throughout the bedroom, her eyes slightly adjusted to the unnatural brightness. She slowly reached for her smartphone and took a glance at the time. 

"Quater past Eight!? Oh no, it's only my first day and I'm already late!" The teen scolded herself. 

She frantically got out of bed, and raced to her closet. As she searched through her clothes, she grabbed something that looked alright. 

I guess this will just have to do... 

She quickly put the outfit on, then looked into the mirror. Her hair was all messy and her eyes looked tired. 

She reached for her hairbrush and quickly put her hair in two cute pigtails. 

I hope this looks okay... 

When her hair looked neat, she raced to her bathroom and brushed her teeth. 

After about ten seconds, she reached for her backpack and headed through the door. 

When she arrived downstairs, she was greeted by her loving mother. 

"Morning chérie! I made you breakfast. Here, have a bite!" Her mother said while handing her daughter a plate full of delicious food. 

Marinette kindly took the plate, but placed it back on the kitchen table. 

"Thanks Maman, but I have to run. I'm already late!" 

"Okay then, have a good day!" She waved goodbye while picking up a bag of flour. 

Before the teen headed out of the door, she ran back and gave her mother a big hug. 

"Thanks, and same to you! Please also tell Papa I say goodbye." 

Her mother gave her a smile and nodded. 

***

Her walk to school was rather nerve-racking. She had never been to school before, and had no idea what to expect. 

Countless possibilities began to fill her mind with uncertainty. She kept thinking about the students and how they might treat her. 

She was quite clumsy, which gave her a few insecurities. 

'What if they don't like me...?' 

She began to feel her heart race at the thought. She needed to stay positive, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. 

She quickly overcame her racing thoughts and pushed the unwanted negativity away. 

As she stood in front of her new school, she took a deep breath. The bell had already rung, which meant that she needed to hurry. 

She raced through the door, while paying no attention to her surroundings. 

After about two seconds of running, she instantaneously came to a standstill. Three seconds had passed before a sudden pain overtook her body. 

She groaned and rubbed the back of her throbbing head. 

As she looked up, her eyes caught a glimpse of the most beautiful sea of emerald green that she had ever seen. They were stunning to say the least, and they seemed to hypnotize her every movement. 

She began to feel a little faint as she continued to stare deep into the stranger's extraordinary eyes. 

She tried to say something, but no words came. 

Why was she mute all of a sudden? She couldn't understand her strange behavior, and instantly felt a wave of embarrassment drowning her. 

The stranger still hadn't said anything, which caused the tension that lingered between them to intensity significantly. 

"Uh..." She tried. 

"Pfft! Is that supposed to be a poor excuse for an apology!?" The boy spat. 

Marinette was totally taken back by the boy's unexpected response. He was so cold towards her, and that made her entire body quiver. 

"Uhm... No... It's just... Well I guess I'm sorry then." She hid her burning face in her hands, while hoping for the uncomfortable situation to diffuse. 

The boy stared her down then turned around. As he disappeared into the crowd, Marinette just watched from the sidelines. 

Her negative emotions never left her side. She felt like a failure. Her own clumsiness had caused her to make enemies on the first day! She hated herself for it, and blinked back the tears that were starting to form. 

She began browsing the hallway for her classroom. It took her a while, but she eventually found it.

As she stepped into the classroom, all eyes turned to the blue-eyed girl. She felt so awkward, and didn't know what to do. She looked around until her eyes fell upon a single empty seat; next to a girl with red ombré hair and glasses.

She timidly approached her.

"Hello... Do you... Uh... mind if I sit here?" She cringed at her own nervousness. 

"Well of course you can!" She responded enthusiastically. 

Marinette relaxed a little. Maybe most of the students weren't that bad after all. But after her previous encounter with that narcissistic blond, she had even more doubts than before. 

The girl interrupted the bluenette's thoughts, "By the way... I'm Alya, and you are?" 

"Oh... I'm Marinette." 

"That's a very nice name, Marinette. And are you new here? I haven't seen you before." 

She remained quiet for a moment before answering. 

"Yeah... This is actually my first official day of school," she felt a little nervous having to admit that. 

Alya then looked at Marinette with wide eyes and smiled, "That's so awesome! And don't worry too much. I can see that you're anxious." 

As Marinette was about to say something, a girl with long brown locks and mysterious olive eyes came over to their desk. 

"Hello, new girl! I'm Lila, and it's very nice to meet you," the girl said while gesturing for a handshake. 

Marinette reluctantly reached for the girl's hand but smiled nonetheless, "Hello, Lila. I'm Marinette." 

At that exact moment, the same guy from earlier entered the room. 

Marinette immediately froze when her eyes spotted him. Of all of the things that could have gone wrong, this had to be at the very top top of her list. She couldn't believe that she would be stuck with him for a whole damn year! 

Lila seemed to notice Marinette's uneasiness and asked, "Is everything okay?" 

"Huh? Yeah..." She lied. 

The brunette looked at Marinette then at Adrien and smirked, "Wait... Do you like him..?" She asked while pointing at the blond. 

Marinette was extremely surprised by the unexpected question. There was absolutely no way on planet Earth that she could possibly have a thing for that narcissistic, cold-hearted playboy!

"What!?" She raised her voice, "Are you crazy!? I could never EVER like him! Besides, he's not even my type..."

Marinette couldn't believe it. Even if HE was the last boy on planet Earth, she would NEVER look at him in that way!

But then again, it's just natural to assume... 

She quickly shook her head and exhaled deeply. It was still early, and she didn't want her day to be ruined by something so insignificant. 

Lila gave her a confused look, "Well okay then..." 

With that, Lila left and went back to her seat at the back. 

The boy whose name was still unknown sat down right in front of her, without acknowledging her presence. 

She let out a frustrated sigh and covered her face with her hands. 

'This is going to be a long year...'

***

As lunch time eventually came, Marinette was relieved. She was rather hungry, and she would be meeting her new friend. 

When she found her, she walked over to her and said 'Hello'. 

"Marinette! Hi! I've already reserved a seat for us over there," she said while pointing ahead. 

The two friends got their lunch and sat down at the table. Marinette became curious as her eyes trailed over the two empty seats that stood in front of her. 

"Alya, are we expecting more people?" 

"Yeah. Those seats are reserved for Nino and Adrien."

She remembered Alya mentioning Nino before, but not Adrien. She just had to assume that he was one of Alya's friends as well. 

Marinette smiled, "Oh, okay."

They girls continued to eat their lunch in silence. Eventually after about ten minutes had passed, the bluenette glanced up from her meal. 

She basically choked on her soft drink when she saw who was standing in front of the table. Her heart sunk when she realized who 'Adrien' was. She just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. 

She looked very nervous as she tried to hide her face from him. 

Alya playful nudged her friend in the side, "These are the guys I was talking about. You already saw them this morning. Remember..?" She nonchalantly admitted. 

The teen tried her best to calm her racing nerves, but it was nearly impossible. She looked at Alya, then Nino, and eventually Adrien... 

His face was emotionless, and he just stared at the girl without saying anything. 

"Gr... Great! It's great to uhm... Meet you?" She wasn't sure if she meant it as a question or a statement. 

"We've already met." Adrien coldly stated. 

Alya seemed surprised at first, but decided to ignore the accelerating tension that appeared to be unwavering. 

"Uhm... yeah, we've already met," she didn't know why she repeated what Adrien had said. Maybe it was a way to reassure herself..?

The blond narcissist just rolled his eyes in response. 

Alya needed a way to defuse the tension, and fast! She was used to Adrien's behavior, but it still felt so strange to see him like this; even after all this time...

"So, Marinette? How's your first day been so far?" 

"Uhm... It's been okay I guess... It's taking awhile for me to get used to everything, but overall it's been great..." 

Secretly she wasn't so sure. The accedemic side of things was great. The work was pretty easy, and she felt rather confident about it. And she made a new friend, which was amazing, but on the other hand... There was still Adrien...

He was a jerk, and she couldn't understand why. She couldn't help but wonder if he had always been that way. Under all those layers of cold and hatred, perhaps there was something special. 

The girls continued to chat for a little while longer, until the boys got up to leave. Once they were completely out of sight, Marinette turned to her friend. 

"Alya, can I ask you something?" 

"Of course you can!" She looked at Marinette and frowned, "Is it about Adrien?" 

"H... How did you know?" she curiously raised an eyebrow. 

"You are looking in the same direction, so I kind of assumed," she said while shrugging her shoulders. 

Marinette relaxed, "Well yeah... It's just..." She wasn't sure how to even ask, "Has he always been so... So cold?" 

Alya sighed and looked at her new friend, "No. It's been a long time since the sparkle in his eye disappeared."

"What does that mean?" She curiously asked. 

"Don't tell him, okay? But it all happened after he broke up with his girlfriend. They were inseparable, and it seemed as if nothing could pull them apart. But sadly something did, and now he's changed."

Marinette just listened as Alya spoke about Adrien. The whole story sounded so depressing, and she could only wonder what happened between them. 

"Do you know what happened?" 

"No one knows. He never talks about it, but whatever happened definitely affected him. The only clue was that they broke up on her birthday. He was so excited to spend time with her and everything, but as midnight approached, I found him in tears outside my apartment."

Marinette closed her mouth and looked at Alya with utter shock. 

"And after that day, he became someone unrecognizable. At times I wonder if he'll ever recover from it."

"I had no idea..." Marinette instantly felt guilty, "Is there any way to help him?" 

Alya sadly shook her head, "I don't think so." 

At that moment, Marinette understood. She didn't know him personally, but she knew that he didn't deserve to feel that way; even if he was rather self-centered, cold and quite despicable...

She would try her best, and if she failed, at least she could be satisfied with the fact that she had tried. 

***


	3. Chapter Two

It was finally the end of the school day, and Marinette couldn't wait to get home.

As the sound of a ringing bell sounded throughout the classroom, the students began packing their bags and headed for the exit. 

Just before she disappeared, the teacher called her to her desk.

"Hello, Marinette."

"Uhm... Hello, Mlle Buster... I mean Bustier... Yes?" She mentally face-palmed.

The older woman just gave the teen an unsure expression, "I would just like to talk to you about some of the work that you've missed."

"Uh... Okay, sure?"

"Since you've missed like half the term, there's a few tasks that are advised that you do. If you want, you can ask some of your classmates to assist you? Or perhaps-" 

"No, no... That's okay. I think I'll be able to figure it out, but thanks for offering. And if I'm really struggling, I'll ask Alya." She waved her hands in the air as she continued to ramble.

Mlle Bustier simply nodded her head. 

With that, Marinette was gone. As she took a long stroll down the school hallway, she reached for her umbrella that lay at the bottom of her bookbag. She struggled to grab it, but she eventually pulled it out of its hiding spot. 

The sky was gray, and the wind howled with anger. Just this morning, the sky was so blue, but now it was the total opposite.

She frowned as she felt a few droplets of rain upon her exposed skin. Luckily her house was nearby, and she would be able to escape the remorseless wrath of the elements within no time. 

She stopped a few feet away from the main door. A very familiar head of golden locks had somehow managed to catch her attention.

She felt uneasy, and didn't really want him to see her. His back was turned away from her as he continued to speak on his cellphone.

She wondered who he was talking to. There was lots of yelling, and he seemed very agitated.

Adrien was an interesting character. He was like the stereotypical bad boy, who was once a sweet guy..? 

Marinette felt bad as she remembered what Alya had said about the break-up. He must have really loved his ex-girlfriend... Or perhaps there's more to that story.

Her thoughts were interrupted when emerald green met ocean blue. She froze, and quickly reverted her gaze to the floor. 

"Great! Now I have to walk in this rain!" He mumbled under his breath. 

The boy rolled his eyes and quickly turned back around. As his call ended, he continued to stare into an emotionless void that rested within the very far distance.

Marinette felt conflicted. She needed to get home, but she didn't want to pass Adrien...

After about two seconds, she made up her mind. She would just have to walk past him, and hopefully he wouldn't say anything. 

Even though it was only a few steps, the walk felt excruciating long. Marinette couldn't seem to focus. She kept on worrying about Adrien and what he would possibly say. He was clearly angry, which made her heart beat faster than ever. She tried to ignore it, but it was basically impossible.

The way his eyes stared daggers into her anxious soul felt somewhat deadly. She could feel absolutely no warmth radiating from within his being, which sent countless shivers racing down her spine. 

She unconsciously hid her face from him. She still felt embarrassed from what happened this morning, and didn't want to be reminded of her past failures. 

"I'm sorry!" She unexpectedly apologized. 

"For what?" His asked a little annoyed. 

She began to stammer as she looked at his irritated face, "Uhm.. You know? For earlier when I... Uhm... Bumped into you?"

Adrien remained silent as he watched the new girl ramble. 

"Yeah. Whatever!" 

He looked away; hoping that she would take a hint and leave him alone. He was tired and really didn't feel like having to partake in any form of communication whatsoever. 

Marinette felt hurt again. Even after apologizing for the second time, it was still not good enough. She didn't even deserve his forgiveness!

Did she really mean that little to him? 

She looked at the lonely floor as a sad expression rested upon her pale face. She had no idea how to make friends, but whatever she was doing, didn't seem to be working at all!

She felt like a failure, and didn't know what to do. 

The storm only seemed to intensity as the timeless moments of unhappiness passed her by. She felt worse than ever, and the weather didn't seem to help either.

As she was about to depart, she gave the blond one final glance. He was standing all alone without an umbrella or a jacket.

She remembered what he had said on the phone, and she instantly felt the slightest hint of guilt raising from within her heart. 

She held onto the metal stick before contemplating whether she should offer him her umbrella or not. She lived close to the school, so she wouldn't be in the rain for too long. Maybe Adrien lived far away and needed the umbrella more than she did... 

"Uhm... Here."

Adrien glanced over at the girl as she held her umbrella out for him to reach. He gave her a confused look and shook his head.

"I can't take it." He said while pushing it away. 

"I didn't mean to pry, but I overheard your conversation... So, I guess what I'm trying to say is... I think you need this more than I do."

She didn't say anything as she gave it to him. She gave him a small smile as their hands gently brushed against each other. A spark was ignited and Adrien couldn't help but remain paralyzed by her very touch. 

He was left confused and didn't know what to do. For the first time that day, he was totally speechless. 

"Uh..." He tried. 

But when he looked up, all he could see was a faint outline of the strange girl. The storm had intensified, making it increasingly difficult to see anything, but he was still able to spot her within the depths of the pouring rain. 

He held onto her umbrella as he watched her fade away. He could feel something indescribable begin to flow within his viens. He held onto his chest, as he tried to comprehend the strangeness. 

It was almost like the times when he was with Kagami. 

'Could that mean..?' 

He felt his mind drifting away as he wondered about what had just happened. It was unnatural, and he couldn't quite seem to understand it. 

It had been months since he was able to feel anything THAT intense. As he continued to think, the smallest smile rested upon his lips. 

He actually felt something other than emptiness, and that excited him a little. 

He continued to grip the metal rod as the wind howled and the storm strengthened. He looked up at the clouds, and sighed. 

He needed to get home before his father murdered him. 

Without realizing it, the raging storm that immediately gripped his fragmented soul, was yet to intensify to the point of no return. 

***


	4. Chapter Three

The day felt never-ending. From the realm of abstract computation, to the depths of unfamiliar literature, Marinette felt trapped by the demands of such unnecessary erudition.

She searched the room, hoping to find even the slightest fraction of excitement amongst the immeasurable depths of apathy. 

With her mind still lost within a mysterious dimension, she was suddenly brought back to reality. 

"... Which equates to mass multipled by acceleration, Marinette."

"Huh, yes..?"

The teacher looked down through her spectacles as she waited for a response from the mentally conflicted student.

"You weren't even listening! Now we're you?" Ms. Mendeleev strictly questioned the confused student.

"Yes, of course I was! You were talking about motion and..." 

Marinette wasn't actually listening to anything the teacher was saying. She had already learnt about Newton's laws, which was the primary reason for her loss of interest.

As she was about to continue, another student raised her hand.

"Yes, Kagami?"

A short Japanese girl glanced over at Marinette before answering the teacher's previous question, "You were talking about Force, Madame. And force is equivalent to acceleration times mass. Hence, the the heavier you are and the faster you go-"

"Yes, that is correct. Thank you, now please sit down and listen!"

As Kagami obeyed, the teacher seemed to loose her patience a little. She forced her spectacles up the bridge of her nose before turning back to the blackboard. 

'What was that all about?' 

Marinette was left confused and slightly annoyed. Was it normal for students to act that way? She wasn't sure, but she assumed it to be true. 

With her questions left with no answers, she just sat alone amongst the other students as she tried to listen to what Mme Mendeleev was saying. 

Her attempts were meaningless. She quickly forgot her surroundings, and drifted back into her own imaginative world. 

Before she knew it, class was over. She quickly gathered her belongings and headed out of the room.

She was relieved to get away from everyone. It was only her fourth day, but she still had difficulty fitting in. Most of the students in her physics class seemed rather arrogant, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.

She sighed, and just hoped that things would get better with time.

She silently walked down the busy hallway. There were students everywhere, which was a little overwhelming. She tried to ignore them, but it became increasingly difficult.

One of the school jocks accidentally bumped into Marinette. Without a second to even think, she felt herself being thrown across the hallway, until something hard broke her fall.

She groaned in pain as she tried to help herself up. There was no one in sight, which was a little discouraging.

Despite her rather unfortunate predicament, she eventually managed to stand to her feet.

With her back pressed up against a door, she heard a faint sound coming from the other side. She placed her ear on the cold wood, hoping to hear the song a little better.

With her ear resting against the door, she began to listen very closely. Whoever was behind there, was definitely a talented musician. She didn't recognize the tune, but she could tell by the way that the song was being played, that it was done so with a lot of passion and emotion.

She was curious and decided to take a slight peak.

She reached for the doorknob and began to slowly push the door open. As the door suddenly swung open, a loud crash followed by silence entered her eardrums.

She froze as her eyes searched the room. At first she didn't see anyone, but as her eyes unconsciously trailed to the right side of the room, she immediately became paralyzed with penetrating anxiety.

There, in the far corner stood a teenage boy with black hair with light blue ends. He was holding onto a guitar while he absent-mindedly started at her.

The silence that filled the room was deafening, and Marinette didn't know what to do. She merely looked at him, hoping for the awkwardness to disintegrate.

"Uhm... Hello?"

Marinette felt extremely awkward. She didn't mean to intrude, and now he was staring at her like she was a total freak! 

"Uhm... Hi. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to bardge in like that. I'll just leave and-"

The boy's response immediately took her by surprise.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If you are interested, you are welcome to watch us rehearse," he said while gesturing to himself and towards the piano in the corner. 

"Us?" She asked a little confused.

"Yeah. Adrien and I," he pointed towards the piano that stood in the far left corner.

Marinette suddenly felt faint. She hadn't see him before, as he was hidden away by the grand piano.

'Great, he probably hates me even more now...' 

"We're actually looking for someone to join our band. You don't happen to play any instruments, do you?" The nameless boy kindly asked. 

Marinette was still thinking about the fact that Adrien was there. He would probably not want her to join his group.

She looked at the boy with the kind eyes and frowned.

"Uhm... Yeah, I play the violin. But I don't think I'm any good," she seemed very unsure of herself as she shyly hid her face from both of them. 

"Don't say that. If you want, you can play something on that violin over there," he pointed towards an old, brown looking instrument. "Besides-"

Before he could continue, a blond head popped up from behind the piano.

"She clearly doesn't want to play. You can see it in her face, Luka. And I haven't told you yet, but I've already found someone. A drummer, and he's a professional," Adrien's voice was laced with annoyance as he looked at both of them.

Marinette instantly felt like a failure. Her expression immediately changed from one of uncertainty to one of complete disappointment. She was right... Nothing she did would EVER be enough for Adrien. She should have just accepted it while she had the chance.

"What!? But we haven't even heard her play... She's just nervous, that's all," Luka gave Marinette a small smile while ignoring the blond pianist. "Would you like to play something?"

Marinette was quiet for a moment. She was contemplating her options. She wouldn't loose anything either way. After her mind was made up, she hesitantly walked over to Luka.

"I'll give it a try," she gave him a slight smile without looking at Adrien.

She went over to the violin and picked it up. She sat down and took in a deep breath. She hadn't really played for anyone before, and felt really nervous all of a sudden.

Without thinking too much, she positioned the instrument correctly underneath her chin.

With the bow in her right hand, she began to play a familiar tune. 

For a moment, the world seemed to stop spinning. As she began to pour her heart out into the music, a sense of mystery filled the room. 

Luka had never heard anything quite like that before. He was left dumbfounded; his jaw had practically hit the ground as he continued to stare in awe. 

The girl who he had just met, was beyond no doubt exceptional. The way her emotions seemed to tell a beautiful story through the music, was something indescribable. 

Adrien felt his heart tighten. He wasn't ready to feel anything just yet, but the way she played the violin with so much desire, made him feel something greater than anything he had ever thought possible. 

He couldn't describe it, but he knew at that exact moment that she had something special.

As both Adrien and Luka continued to watch Marinette play the violin, they couldn't help but smile at her ability. 

Adrien didn't even realize what he was doing until Luka looked at him. 

"See, I told you! And look, even you enjoyed it," Luka gave Adrien a playful smirk. 

Adrien quickly looked away, "Yeah, whatever. She's a good musician, okay!" 

Adrien tried his best to cover the slight blush. He felt embarrassed. He had really misjudged her ability...

The blond just stood there with his arms crossed, and his expression was unreadable. 

Marinette's solo eventually came to an end. Luka looked a little sad, but he still smiled nonetheless. 

"Wow... And you said that you weren't good!" 

He went over to her, while Adrien stayed behind. Marinette looked up at Luka and blushed. She felt a mix between embarrassment and excitement. 

"Thanks..." She mumbled under her breath. 

"Wasn't she great, Adrien?" 

Adrien was silent, and his glance seemed deadly. Did he hate it? Marinette didn't know what to think as she tried to search for the right answer. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't take it if he hated the performance. 

"Yes. She was great," his tone seemed to lack any type emotion. 

He gave her a slight nod without meeting her hopeful eyes, then unexpectedly turned around. Luka and Marinette just watched as he left them alone. 

"Does he hate me?" The blue-eyed girl suddenly piped up, hoping for a positive response. 

Luka looked a little surprised, but he shrugged it off. 

"I don't think so. He acts that way towards most people, so don't worry about it... I'm sorry, I didn't get your name..." He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

"Uhm... My name's Marinette."

"Well, Marinette. You are an exceptional violinist. When you said that you weren't that good, I was expecting you to be about average. But you are very advanced. When did you start playing?" 

Marinette though for a second before responding. "I think I was about three." 

"Well that's incredible! Anyway, I'm sorry but I have to leave. I have somewhere important to go to. Would you like to be in our band? I understand if you don't-" 

She immediately interrupted him, "No. I want to!"

Luka was quite surprised at her extremely quick response, but he quickly smiled. He was overjoyed that she wanted to be apart of their band. 

"Well that's amazing, Marinette. I'll give you my number and Adrien's, and you can just send one of us a message or something."

Marinette looked at him with an unreadable expression. 

"Why Adrien's? I know that you said he doesn't hate me and everything, but I don't think-" 

"Well it was his idea to form the band in the first place, so you might want to talk to him about it."

Marinette nodded as she took the piece of paper that had two numbers on. 

"Well okay. Thanks, Luka."

With that, Luka gave her a slight tap on the shoulder and left. 

As Marinette watched Luka leave, she brushed the edge of the paper with her finger tips. Did she make the right decision? She felt unsure and just hoped that she knew what she was doing. Luka seemed like a nice guy, but Adrien... He was something else. 

Maybe she could try to help him overcome his issues, even though he didn't seem like he wanted any help... At all... 

She had made up her mind. She would do it. She would become part of their band. She would do it for Luka, but mostly for Adrien. 

***


	5. Chapter Four

After everything that had happened, Marinette had little to no hope that things would get any better. She felt like a total fool, and nothing she ever did was considered socially acceptable. 

'Why do I have to be so DAMN awkward!?' 

She cringed as she thought about the incident that occurred just a few hours before. She gently rubbed the band-aid that covered her elbow as she remembered how she instantly became the center of attention.

The malicious laughs began to torment her fragile mind as she felt warm tears begin to form.

She could feel the cold stares and evil laughs surrounding her. At that very moment, all she wanted to do, was to run away and forget any of this ever happened.

Her head hung low, but her self-esteem hung even lower. By going to school, she thought she could somehow change the past, and forget her mistakes. But no! Nothing changed since the day she first stepped foot into this terrible place!

As she began to walk away from everyone, the din quickly faded away into oblivion. She didn't dare look at any of them. To them, she was a clumsy nobody, and that made her feel very insecure. 

The bluenette tried hugging herself for comfort, but it didn't help. Not one bit! She merely glanced down at the lonely floor, hoping that it was nothing more that a painful nightmare. But sadly, that wasn't the case at all. 

She eventually made her way over to the nearby staircase. Luckily there wasn't anyone around, so she could enjoy some peace and quiet for just a moment. 

However, fate had other plans. Before she could take another step, someone pushed her with tremendous force. 

Everything happened so fast. Before her body came to a sudden standstill, she was able to see the faint outline of the person who had pushed her. It was difficult to tell, but Marinette had a very good idea of who it was. 

"Argh..." She held onto her aching head. 

With her belongings scattered across the floor, she felt defeated. She was all alone, and no one cared to assist her. 

Her head still ached a lot, but she ignored the crippling pain. She didn't care; all she wanted was to get out of here and forget about everything. Her whole experience proved that she was completely unfit for the torturous reality of school life as a whole. 

Perhaps she should just forget everything and go back to her comforting sad life. Even though it was far from perfect, it was by far better than this! 

As her hand reached down to grab her pencil case, a larger hand unexpectedly landed ontop of hers.

When her sad bluebell eyes met a pair of very peculiar blue ones, she felt heat rise to her cheeks. What was this warm feeling flowing from deep within her soul? Was it embarrassment, or perhaps curiosity..?

She couldn't figure it out, yet she hoped that it was a good feeling. 

"Uhm... You okay, Marinette?" He asked a little concerned.

She suddenly forgot how to speak. Her eyes were instantly lost in a sea of such deep mystery, and couldn't help but stare.

"Uh..." She tried.

The musician kindly helped the clumsy girl gather her belongings before pulling her to her feet. He gave her a sweet smile as he handed her a few books.

Marinette tried to hide her blush as she reached for her things, but it was basically impossible. She felt so shy all of a sudden. A deep red pigment covered her cheeks as she looked to the ground; hoping to minimize the chance of anyone seeing it. 

"Th... Thanks, L... Luka. That was r... really uh... kind of you..." 

"It's only a pleasure. Besides, if someone needs help with anything, I'll always try to assist," the boy kindly admitted. 

An uncomfortable silence quickly filled the space between the two teens. Marinette felt really awkward all of a sudden, but smiled nonetheless.

"So..." Luka began, "Are you still coming to band practice this weekend?"

Marinette hesitated for a moment before responding, "Yes, surfinitely! I mean definitely!" She felt herself cringe at her extreme awkwardness. 

Luka gave her an unsure look, but quickly brushed it off. He had only known her for a few days now, but he was already used to her clumsiness.

"Okay, Marinette," he smiled. "That's awesome. I'm so glad that you decided to be a part of our group. I think... With you being there, you'll help Adrien find himself again."

"I will? But how..?" She instantly gave him a questioning look.

"I don't know, but I can feel it. No one has been able to get him to open up, but I think you have a gift... You've only been here for a few days, yet I can already see a change in his behavior. My guess is, that it has something to do with you."

Marinette's mouth hung wide open. Maybe Luka was right... But what could plain, clumsy Marinette possibly do to help a broken boy like Adrien Agreste?

"I... Uh... I honestly don't know what to say..."

The blue-eyed boy gave her an understanding look, "I know, but just trust me."

Should she trust his judgment? She was left more confused than anything else. She gave him a blank stare, but after a few moments she slightly nodded her head.

She gave him a small smile, "Okay."

Honestly, she didn't know if she really trusted him yet, but he seemed like a genuine guy. He seemed to not care about anything anyone else said, and that made her more willing to believe him.

Breaking the silence, Luka quickly changed the subject, "Cool... So... Are you going anywhere right now?" 

"I'm actually heading home right now," she nonchalantly stated. 

He nodded his head in agreement, "Okay, then. Would you like me to walk you home?" He kindly offered, wondering if she might need some help carrying all of her belongings. 

Marinette was silent for a while before she said anything. 

"No, no that's okay... My house is really close by so... You really don't have to... That is... It's not that I don't want you to-" 

He softly laughed at her confusion, which in turn made Marinette feel rather embarrassed. 

When Luka saw her sour face, he quickly tapped her shoulder which caused her to look up at him. He gave her a sincere smile, "I'm not laughing at you. It's just... When you get so lost in thought, you seem to muddle up your words. It's quite cute, actually." 

Marinette could feel her face heat up again, but only this time it was A LOT worse than before. 

"Uh... Th.. Thank you..." She was once again lost for words. 

"Any time. So, I'll let you be... You seem anxious to get home. I hope there's no hard feelings between us." 

"Thanks, Luka. No, no... Everything is fine!" She smiled awkwardly while frantically waving her hands in the air. 

"Sure, no problem. We'll see each other at band practice," he smiled and turned around leaving a very red Marinette behind. 

Time seemed non-existent as she watched him leave. There was something about him that made her feel different somehow, and she couldn't really understand it. 

'What was that all about?' She silently questioned. 

With his figure fading away into the crowds of people, she smiled before slowly turning around. 

Before her body turned completely, she felt herself pressed up against something hard. Her heart began to race as realization immediately hit her like a ton of bricks. 

He was so close; she could even smell his heavenly cologne...

'Could this day get any worse?' She rolled her eyes in annoyance. 

She hesitantly looked up until blue touched a forest of rich emerald. She couldn't read his expression, and that terrified her to the core. Did she make a huge mistake or what? 

Her mind didn't seem to settle down, as she waited for a response from the blond acquaintance standing in front of her. 

Nothing but silence lingured between them. Her eyes anxiously examined him until they fell upon something that looked vaguely familiar. 

It was her purse! She didn't even realize that it was missing... 

"Here. I saw what happened, and-" he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "-I'm sorry about it." 

Adrien was acting very weird, and Marinette didn't really know how to respond. 

"Uhm... Thanks, Adrien. I appreciate it," she said while reaching for her purse. 

As her hand touched the fabric of her purse, it slightly brushed against Adrien's. Marinette looked at his face, hoping that his expression was a kind one. 

He seemed fairly normal, but there was something about the way he was looking at her that made her feel a little unusual. 

Adrien quickly reverted his gaze to the ground when he caught a glimpse of Marinette's stunning bluebell eyes. He looked a little uncomfortable, and that made Marinette feel quite bad. 

"Thanks again," she gave him a small smile. "I'll get going now. You probably have lots of activities to attend to and I-" 

"No, it's okay. I also wanted to tell you something." His words seemed rushed as he gestured for her to stay. 

Marinette's heart sank as the possibilities began to run wild. What could he possibly want to tell her? Did he hate her, or want her out of his band? 

"Okay..." The unsure girl clenched her teeth, hoping to get some relief from all the anxiety she was currently experiencing. 

He sighed, "About the band... I don't know if Luka already told you, but we are practicing at my house this weekend." 

She felt herself relax ever so slightly. Was Adrien actually being nice to her? She wasn't sure, but if he was... Maybe Luka was right... 

"Uhm... I didn't know that..." She honestly admitted. 

He seemed a little disappointed, but pushed the thought away. 

"Well then... I'll give you my number since I'm usually the one to organize everything."

Marinette was about to tell him that Luka had already given her his number, but she stopped herself when she saw him gesturing for her to give him something. 

"Yes?" She curiously asked, not really sure what he wanted from her. 

"Your phone, if you don't mind."

"Oh..." She reached for her phone, and unlocked it so that he could put his number into her device. 

After about a minute, he handed her phone back. He seemed lost in thought, but that didn't last for very long. 

Marinette was about to leave, but stopped when Adrien suddenly spoke up again. 

"And another thing... I'm sorry for misjudging you. You are an exceptional violinist..." He said while giving her a very small smile. 

Marinette was dumbfounded, but she didn't show it. She smiled and slightly nodded her head. 

"Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot." 

Maybe he wasn't THAT bad after all... She would have to give him some time, but until then... She was just happy to help wherever possible. 

Adrien didn't say anything. He gave her a slight nod before turning around.

With his back facing her, Marinette just watched him as her mind remained unsteady. She stood still; paralyzed by so much confusion. She tried to push the strange thoughts away, but she just couldn't stop thinking about a certain green-eyed blond. His personality was intriguing, and she wanted to find out more.

She would have to first get past that icy wall of sophistication. That was a challenge in itself, but she needed to discover the truth.

It would probably take a very long time, but she didn't mind. The best things in life are difficult to find, but when you find them, you should never let them go. And that's exactly what she plans on doing for Adrien. He needs her now, more than ever before...

***


	6. Chapter Five

Marinette anxiously glanced up from her phone when she spotted a large, white wall that extended across the entire block. Without giving it much thought, she naturally assumed that it had to be the Agreste Mansion.

She felt very intimated and just hoped that her experience would potentially be a good one. 

She placed the leather strap back over her shoulder as she began to sprint towards the monstrous building. Her heart immediately sank when she realized that she was already thirteen minutes late.

'How could I have been so careless?' She scolded herself, imagining the countless repercussions that she would soon have to face.

With her hand tightly clenched around the strap of her backpack, and her lungs almost giving up on her, she eventually made it to the entrance of place.

She rested her body against the wall as she waited for someone to answer the intercom. Within two seconds, a feminine voice spoke through the speaker. The woman sounded rather annoyed, which in turn gave the poor teenager raging anxiety.

The bluenette hesitantly spoke up, "Uhm... Hello? Would you... Uh... Mind letting me in? I'm here for band practice..." 

The voice didn't seem amused at all, "May I ask for a name?" 

"Oh! Uhm, yes... I'm Marinette..?" 

It took approximately thirty seconds, for the unwelcoming voice to break the silence. "Yes, Mlle Dupain-Cheng. You may enter, but don't ever be late again!"

Marinette felt an overwhelming amount of negative emotions at that very instant. Maybe she should have declined the offer from the very beginning... It wasn't her fault that she got lost! But then again... These people don't seem to really care.

Just then, the huge, black fence opened, giving her a mini heart attack. She was a little reluctant, but she eventually made it inside. 

Her racing heart couldn't seem to settle down as she moved closer towards the front door. She rubbed her hands together; trying her very best to relax. She didn't even know why she was stressing so much... 

She shook her head in annoyance, and fixed her posture. She quickly put on her masked confidence and knocked on the front door. 

It took several seconds for someone to open the door. Holding onto the doorknob was a middle-aged woman with blue-black hair that seemed to conceal a red streak. She had fierce blue eyes that looked down upon Marinette through her dark-framed glasses. 

The uncomfortable teenager gave the woman an awkward smile. She quickly looked away while rubbing her neck, when the intimidating woman merely gave her the death stare. 

"Mlle Dupain Cheng," the blue-eyed woman coldly said while staring intensely at Marinette. "Adrien is out back. You may walk down the hallway until you find a single red door. When you reach it, you will know that you have arrived."

The bluenette gave the woman a confused look. The way she spoke was a little frightening as her face remained expressionless throughout their entire interaction. 

She attempted to say something, but she stopped herself before any words came. Frankly, she didn't even know what to say. She felt so unbelievably awkward, and this situation was doing nothing to help sooth her racing nerves. 

She slowly nodded her head, but before she could turn around, the middle-aged woman spoke up. 

"And Marinette?" 

Marinette nervously fiddled with her fingers as she waited for the woman to continue. 

"Y... Yes..?" 

"Don't get yourself into any sort of trouble." 

That was odd and a little unexpected. She couldn't even describe what she was feeling. What did that even mean? Marinette tried to shake the weird thoughts away, but her curiosity would not leave her side. 

"Uhm... Okay..?" She answered, not really sure how to respond to the question. 

With that, that stranger nodded her head, turned around and left. 

Marinette hugged herself as she began her lonely stroll down the long passage. There was an unknown presence that lingured around the empty walls, which sent shivers down her spine. It felt unnatural, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was. 

She attempted to push her thoughts to the very back of her mind, but the feeling that consumed her was greater than anything she had ever felt before. 

With her unsteady thoughts still running through her brain, she eventually made it to the end of the passage only to be knocked to the ground in under two seconds. 

When she glanced up, her eyes fell upon a pair of very aggressive baby blue ones. 

The eyes belonged to none other than the VERY popular Chloé Bourgeois; daughter of Audrey Bourgeois, the queen of fashion. She gave the bluenette a death glare and folded her arms to emphasize her frustration. 

'Why the HECK is Chloé here!?' 

"Watch where you're going, Klutz!" She raised her voice in agitation. "I can't believe my boyfriend, Lukakins decided to allow such a low class preformer into his band." 

'BOYFRIEND...!?' Luka had never mentioned that he was in a relationship. And it was Chloé of all people!? 

Marinette didn't know why, but she was a little disappointed. How could such a nice guy end up with someone so... so snobbish..? 

"But don't feel bad... Your talent can still come in handy. If you would like, I can get in touch with the circus and ask them if they are hiring any recruits. I'm sure you'll fit right in..." The blonde mockingly giggled. 

Marinette couldn't help but feel a mix between anger and sorrow. She got up and stared right into Chloé's vile eyes. She had nothing to say and no comback. She merely rolled her eyes before walking passed her bitchy acquaintance. 

But before she could take another step forward, the blonde roughly yanked her shoulder back. The baker girl was now trapped. 

"And one more thing..." She said while giving her enemy an evil smirk. "Luka is mine! And if you ever try anything, you'll definitely regret it! So my advice... Stay away, PEASANT!" 

Marinette's heart felt like it was about to explode. 'I can't believe that Luka, the sweetest, kindest, most understand person I have ever met is not only taken, but in a relationship with that... that B-'

Interrupting her train of thought, Luka unexpectedly entered the scene. 

"Marinette! There you are! We've been waiting for quite a while. Were you able to find the place alright?" He asked while his voice seemed to be laced with concern. 

Marinette looked at Chloé then to her band member and sighed in defeat, "Yeah, and sorry for being late!" 

Luka gave his friend a questioning look. There was something about her that seemed a little off, but he couldn't exactly put a finger on it. 

"Are you okay, Marinette?" He kindly asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just peachy!" She said without looking at him. She didn't know what to think, and Chloé's words just made everything a thousand times worse! 

Luka could definitely sense her odd behavior, but he decided to let it go. Maybe something happened at home and she just didn't want to talk about it. 

"Okay, but if there's something bothering you, you can tell me," he said while giving her a sweet smile. 

She was dying to return his smile, but she knew she just couldn't. She gave him a slight nod before walking ahead.

Chloé gripped onto the guitarists arm while giving him a big smile.

Luka gave his girlfriend a sweet smile while rubbing her exposed arm, "I hope she's okay."

"Me too, babe."

***

The afternoon felt like it would never end. It took forever, but band practice was eventually over.

As Luka left with Chloé by his side, Marinette stayed behind. As she watched them leave, she couldn't help by feel a little jealous. 

She sighed in defeat as she attempted to gather her belongings and head back to her bakery. 

As she was about to leave through the back door, she felt a warm hand rest upon her shoulder. She immediately froze and turned around only to be met by a pair of mysterious green eyes. 

She didn't say anything as she stared at him, while waiting for a response. 

"Marinette. Please wait." 

She gave the boy a questioning glance as she tried to comprehend the reason for his sudden disruption. 

"I know what happened with Chloé..." His face was unreadable, but something about his tone of voice made her relax ever so slightly. 

'Did everyone know?' She looked away as memories of her failure began to take an unhealthy hold on her mind. Maybe she should just quit school and go back to her simple life as a home-schooler. 

She didn't say anything, but nodded nonetheless. 

"Look. I know that this isn't the best thing to hear right now, but you have to forget him."

Her eyes grew wide, "Wait... How did you-" 

"I can see the way you look at him. That's the same way Kag- Someone used to look at me." He seemed really disappointed and conflicted, but he shook the painful thoughts away.

The blue-eyed girl didn't know how to respond. She remained silent as she continued to look at him with confusion and curiosity. He was acting super weird, yet somehow nice..? 

She wanted to know more about his past, and just hoped that he would one day be able to trust her. 

"Oh."

The blond pianist nodded his head as he glanced at her. There was something about her that made him feel rather intrigued. She wasn't like all of the superficial people at his school, and that gave him the slightest bit of hope. 

He quickly broke the unwanted silence, "If you want, I can drive you home? From what I've heard, you live quite a distance away." 

"Wait... Are you serious?" Marinette's mouth hung wide open as she raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

Adrien seemed puzzled, not knowing why she asked him that, "Yeah? Why would I NOT be serious?" His tone seemed very intense, it was almost frightening. 

Marinette hesitated for a moment until she acquired the right words, "I don't know... It's just... I didn't think you would really want to." 

His expression softened as he gave the shy girl a reassuring smile. 

"Of course I want to! Besides, I want to buy something from your bakery. I hear that you sell the best croissants in all of Paris!" His face seemed to light up at the very mention of food. 

She still felt quite awkward and unsure, but decided to pay no attention to it. 

She slightly smiled," Okay, fine. And... Thank you."

"You are welcome." 

Together the duo made their way over to Adrien's car without a single word. Both of their minds were racing, but not due to the same reasons. 

Marinette couldn't seem to stop thinking about what a disappointment her day had been. And on top of that, she just couldn't seem to understand the blond model. One moment he was all standoffish and self-centered and the next he was acting all nice and caring! What..!? She shook her head, knowing that she would most likely never be able to figure it out. 

Maybe he finally let go of his previous heartbreak and decided to move forward, but that didn't seem to make much sense. How could his feelings change so fast? 

With Marinette's thoughts still racing in her mind, Adrien stole a glance at her and began to wonder. He wondered why she was so nice to him even after he was so rude to her in the past. He also wondered why she liked the blue-haired guitarist so much... 

He knew that Luka was a great guy and an exceptional musician, but he just couldn't wrap his mind around the concept of Marinette and Luka being a couple... Even if Chloé wasn't in the picture, and they had somehow managed to make it work, it just seemed so unnatural... 

He immediately reverted his gaze to the road ahead when the violinist looked up at him. Something warm was beginning to flow throughout his body, yet he couldn't quite understand it. He immediately shook his head in disbelief, not knowing what to think. 

It was moments like these that made him feel vulnerable, but he wouldn't let a silly emotion like that get the better of him... Right..? 

***


	7. Chapter Six

As the car came to a sudden standstill, both Adrien and Marinette hopped out. 

The heat from the summer sun was beginning to take a toll on the locals. There were ice-cream stands on every corner along with all sorts of colorful umbrellas. It was quite a beautiful scene to witness, and Adrien couldn't help but feel a little intrigued. 

He didn't get out much, so this whole experience was a little overwhelming yet at the same time a little exciting. 

Marinette squinted her eyes as she rubbed the sweat away from her forehead. She felt unbelievably hot, but was glad to finally be home where she could change into something cool and maybe even go to the swimming pool later on. 

As she patiently waited for her blond acquaintance, the scent from the delicious pastries caught her attention right away. Now that she thought about it, she was feeling a little hungry. 

Her anxiety was very overpowering, causing her hunger pains to be repressed for extensive periods of time. She was a nervous wreck, but couldn't seem to find the root cause of her sudden emotional imbalancement. 

Without thinking, she looked over at the teenager who seemed to be lost in another dimension. His eyes remained fixated on a toddler with strawberry blonde locks. When the young child scraped his knees, his mother immediately ran to him with open arms. 

Although the little boy's tears never stopped flowing, his mother's comforting embrace seemed to calm him down quite a bit. 

Some part of Adrien couldn't help but think back to the time his mother would do the same for him. But unfortunately for the lost male, those days were long gone... 

Marinette continued to stare as she wondered what was going through his mind. Adrien appeared to be reliving a painful memory, but he didn't say a word. He merely stared into an emotionless void, paralyzed by his unforgiving past. 

His restless mind seemed to lock him away in the depths of unwanted shame. The raven-haired girl was dying to say something, but she stopped herself. She gave him a soft smile and hesitantly tapped his shoulder. 

"You okay..?" She mumbled. 

He immediately looked at her with eyes so vacant, they were almost unrecognizable. He concealed his pain and quickly put on a brave face. 

"Yeah, I'm fine!" His tone was harsh, but it seemed to be hiding something dark, almost inhumane. 

Marinette didn't know how to react, but choose to not say anything. With his bitter words flowing into her eardrums, she gave him an empty glance then pushed herself right past his rigid body. 

She frowned in exasperation and crossed her arms while not paying any attention to the world around her. She felt rather disappointed when she realized that she was yet again back to square one... 

She thought Adrien was beginning to soften up to her, but it would seem like that wasn't the case. She had exhausted all of her attempts and decided to just let it go. 

The kind girl could do everything to try and change the way Adrien viewed this dark, unforgiving life, but that didn't mean it would be successful. She had had enough, and left him behind. After all, he seemed like he just didn't want her help... 

She had only walked about two steps before she felt a large hand tighten around her wrist, which caused her to instantly freeze on the spot. 

"Look, I'm very sorry! You just caught me off guard..." He rubbed his neck in embarrassment, hoping that she would accept his pathetic apology. 

There was so much sincerity in his eyes. Marinette couldn't help but feel a little star-struck for a spit second. She instantly looked away, while wondering what that feeling was. 

Marinette was hesitant, but she nodded her head in agreement, "Okay, fine. You are forgiven."

The model could feel his heart rate slow down a little. He was so relieved that she had forgiven him. In that moment he couldn't help but feel like a total idiot! 

Neither one said anything else as they made their way inside the Dupain-Cheng bakery. They were both greeted by the scent of freshly baked croissants, which caused their mouths to immediately water. 

Adrien hadn't had croissants in such a long time, he had almost forgotten what they tasted like. His eyes instantly lit up when he caught a glimpse of the glorious mounds of croissants that rested in a neat pile. 

"From what I've heard, these are the best!" He exclaimed while pointing at the pile of croissants which were smothered in chocolate chips. 

As if the previous ten minutes didn't even happen, the blue-eyed girl smiled and gave him an unsure nod. 

"I guess so... So... Would you like some?" She awkwardly asked, remembering the initial reason for his sudden interest in her bakery. 

"Of course! I would like six," he happily declared while reaching into his pocket. 

Marinette quickly rested her hand upon his muscular arm before he could retrieve his hand from his pocket. She gave him an unsure glance, and instantly looked away when his bright green eyes found hers. 

"You don't have to pay!" Her voice was a little louder than she had initially anticipated. 

"What..?" He asked in a confused tone. 

"Take it as a... 'Gift'..." 

Adrien seemed very surprised by her response. To him, money meant nothing, since he had so much of it. And he knew that owning a bakery was a lot of work, and every cent mattered. 

He might of seemed like a complete jerk at times, but he was still very honest. He would gladly give her the money, knowing that it was the right thing to do. 

"No, that's okay..." He protested, "I'll pay. I want to, please..?" 

The girl with the ocean-blue eyes gave him a small smile before reaching for a pair of tongs. Since he seemed very persistent to want to pay, she would let him, even though she really didn't mind. 

"Well okay... If you really want to... I mean I don't mind... But since you seem like you want to, you can. But it's really no big deal or anything..." 

The popular teenager placed the correct amount of cash on the counter top before Marinette could change her mind. Without saying anything more, she placed his order into a cream colored box which had the bakery's logo on its side. 

She placed the cash into the cash register then handed him the box filled with delicious French pastries. 

Smiling, the girl handed Adrien his 'gift', "Six croissants. I hope you enjoy them." 

"Thank you. I definitely will!" He said while reaching for the box. 

With that he turned around for a mere second before turning back around to face the girl who was standing behind the till. 

"And by the way... I'm offering my services to you, if you are interested that is." 

Marinette remained speechless as she tried to interpret what he meant by 'services'. Since the boy was a model, she could only imagine that he meant modeling, or perhaps it was something to do with fencing but she wasn't sure. 

She frowned and looked at him with wide eyes, "Wh... What..?" 

"Uhm... Tutoring services?" He raised an eyebrow, "I'm at the top of my class and-" 

Marinette couldn't help but feel a little unsure. His statement sounded really narcissistic and she wondered why he would even bring that up. 

"-I know that you missed a lot of work because you arrived at François Dupoint quite late in the term. So, if you ever need any help, you can just contact me. You have my number after all." He gave her a slight wink.

Marinette felt frozen to the core. She didn't know what to make of it. 

'Did he just wink at me?' She thought as a slight blush suddenly covered her pale cheeks. 

"Uhm... Oh... Okay?" She stammered, "I don't think I need any help right now... But th... thank you..." 

"Okay. Well if you do, I'm only one call away," he said while making a phone gesture with his free hand. "And thanks again for the 'gift', I'm absolutely famished!"

He raised his hand to signal his goodbyes while his lips turned into a cocky grin. Marinette quickly waved back while giving him a genuine smile, hoping to cover her burning face. 

Without saying anything more, the blond head disappeared into the street. Marinette touched her rosy cheeks as she watched him leave. Why did she feel so embarrassed all of a sudden? 

She wasn't entirely sure, but she imagined that it had something to do with the way Adrien had acted. All she had ever seen was his cold, reserved, superficial side. It was so strange to see him act so unpredictably, and she honestly didn't know how to go about it. 

Marinette instantly thought about what Alya had said. She told her that Adrien was an entirely different person before his break-up. 

She had only seen a glimpse of the 'new' Adrien, but maybe that was the real him. If that was true, perhaps he was actually very flirtatious, playful and just a genuinely nice person to be around. It was difficult to imagine such a quiet, straightforward guy acting in a way that seemed so opposite. 

The girl who had broken his poor heart must have done a lot of damage in order to cause such a dramatic change to his personality. She felt quite bad for Adrien and wondered who the girl was...

Marinette also wondered what Adrien's type was. He probably liked very popular, beautiful girls who were smart, brave and overall perfect. She knew that she could never measure up to such expectations... 

The girl who was unknown to the world was far from perfect, and she highly doubted that she was Adrien's type. So perhaps the girl who had unfortunately broken his poor little heart was someone opposite to her... Maybe someone like Chloé..? 

She immediately cringed at the idea, and shook her head in disbelief. She highly doubted that Chloé was Adrien's ex. But she would eventually find out, but until then, she would just try her best to make her new friend feel better. 

Thinking about types, the bluenette began to think about Luka...

There was one guy in particular who had managed to capture her attention. He was very mysterious and just SO sweet. But he was unfortunately already taken... 

She wondered how he had ended up with little miss 'perfect'... They had absolutely nothing in common. Well nothing except maybe popularity... 

Perhaps it was a status thing, or maybe opposites really do attract... But either way, it still hurt. 

Marinette wasn't someone to fall in love THAT easily, but there was just something about Luka that made her heart skip a beat every time she saw him. His eyes seemed to light up whenever he played a magical tune on his guitar. He had so much passion for his music, and that was undeniably attractive. 

She shook her head, in hopes to stop thinking for just a moment. She felt crazy. She didn't even know anything about the blue-haired guitarist, except the fact that he loved music. So why did she feel like this?

Love cannot be rushed! Maybe she should do what Adrien said and forget her silly crush and move on. Besides, he already has Chloé and he seems to love her very much. 

Right now she wasn't too sure. Her heart and mind were playing a game of tug-of-war, and she just couldn't seem to pick a side. She sighed in frustration and decided to go up stairs and start with her homework. Maybe it will help her to forget about her mental angst for a short while. 

Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Marinette almost jumped right out of her skin at the unexpected disruption. 

She quickly reached for her phone and switched it on. A message from a number she didn't recognize appeared in the notification bar. 

She frowned as the curiosity began to intensify. She hesitantly clicked on the message and began to read it. 

Her heart immediately sank when she realized who it was.

'Nathaniel!?'

***


	8. Chapter Seven

*WARNING: This chapter MENTIONS abuse and suicide. Please read at your own discretion. *

***

Marinette sat on the park bench as she nervously waited for Nathaniel to show up. She didn't know why he wanted to meet up after such a long time, but agreed to see him nonetheless. 

She glanced at her phone's screen every few minutes, hoping for the time to speed up. The baker girl really didn't want to be there, but she just felt too guilty about declining the invitation. 

Ten minutes had passed, but still no sign of the artist. Her nerves were racing as she began to question her decision. 

Her thoughts immediately left her when a tale male with long red hair came into her periferal vision. She quickly faked a smile while getting up to greet her 'friend'. 

She felt nervous, but she refused to externalize her internal despair. 

"Marinette?" The male with the red locks questioned himself, not knowing if he had found the right person. 

The unsure girl hesitated for a moment, "... Yes, it's me..." 

Without saying anything, Nathaniel gave the bluenette a soft smile and hugged her tightly. Marinette felt a little claustrophobic and didn't really know how to respond to the unexpected greeting. 

She tried to softly push him away, but with every failed attempt, the artist only tightened his manly grip around the powerless female. 

"I've missed you SO much!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm while still holding onto her with. 

Immediately frowning, the young designer could feel her heart begin to fiercely pound inside her chest cavity. 

She found that impossible to believe. After everything he did, how could he possibly say that!? 

"What..!?" Marinette angrily blurted out. 

Noticing her sudden change of of heart, Nathaniel clenched his jaw in realization. Without thinking, he let her go and they quickly separated. 

Deeply sighing, the boy with the turquoise eyes gave the girl a sad smile before slightly nodding his head. 

"I know you find it hard to believe. Especially after EVERYTHING I did to you... But I really DO mean it, Marinette... Please-"

The blue-eyed girl tightly clenched her jaw shut. They were just words. Words that were suger-coated to sound meaningful. But she knew better than to just believe anything at face value... 

Interrupting her negative thoughts, the artist spoke up again, "I don't expect you to understand or to even believe me... But I just want you to know how utterly sorry I am. For everything-"

Marinette could feel herself relax a little. She was used to his lies but something about the way his eyes seemed to loose its sparkle, made her want to actually believe him. 

Without looking up into those eyes that seemed so dull and empty, the conflicted girl tried to speak, but no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't seem to get any words out. 

It was almost as if she was somehow trapped in the relentless, suffocating ocean. She had no escape. Every time she tried to reach the surface, another wave would pound against her extremely small body. Marinette was batted and bruised, but the worst part of all, was the fact that no one could get to her. No one could save her from the unwavering torments that she faced daily. 

With every attempt to catch even the slightest breath of oxygen, the ferocious monster would drag her further and further away into the icy cold depths of endless heartache. 

The broken girl was trapped in her own lonely mind, not knowing how to escape from all the pain that Nathaniel had caused her all those years ago. 

With every passing day, she would never stop trying to get away from those despicable thoughts that would punish her aimlessly. 

At the time it was just too much to bare. It was so painful that she didn't know what to do. She eventually lost her ability to feel anything... The girl with the once bright, beautiful bluebell eyes had lost herself that day. 

The whole experience had changed her in a way she never imagined possible. It molded her into the person she is today. 

For so long, the girl with the broken smile hated Nathaniel for what he did to her, but then again... A small part of her actually wanted to thank him, because if she didn't go through what she did, perhaps she wouldn't be as understanding and compassionate towards others as she is today... 

Seeing that she wasn't responding to his apology, the male merely sighed, completely defeated. 

"I... Uh..." 

His voice seemed to wake Marinette up from her trance, so Nathaniel decided that he needed to speak up before it was too late. 

"I KNOW what I did is unforgivable, and I deserve the consequences. But after you left, I realized how wrong and stupid I was!" His voice was agressive, because of the great hate he had for himself. 

After not saying anything for a couple of minutes, the bluenette gave the depressed boy a sorrowful glance before looking to the ground for comfort. 

"It's okay-" 

Nathaniel could feel the slightest ounce of hope. 

Smiling with great enthusiasm, the male interrupted her, "Really..!?"

Marinette sighed as she shook her head, "Yeah... After your father died, a darkness filled your heart and you changed.... You became someone unrecognizable-" 

The boy with the turquoise eyes could feel the pain begin to bubble up from within his center. He absolutely hated himself for what he had done, but deep down he just knew that he couldn't change the past. 

"I treated you SO badly. You were such an amazing girlfriend and the best friend anyone could have ever ask for, and you were always there for me when I needed you, yet I was NEVER there for you..." A single tear slipped out of his eye as he looked over at the girl he once loved with all his heart, "Instead I took my pain and anger out on you... Y... You almost died because of me!" 

Without looking at her ex-boyfriend, Marinette could feel the waterworks begin to flow out from her own eyes as she was forced to relive those painful moments yet again. 

The destroyed girl began to silently sob as she continued to listen to Nathaniel's apology. Although he said sorry in the past, this wasn't at all like those times. This time he seemed to really mean it. 

Timeless moments had passed before Marinette found the right words to say. She slowly raised her head until her tear-stained eyes found Nathaniel's bloodshot ones. Giving the boy an extremely weak smile, the bluenette wiped her own tears away before verbalizing her unsteady thoughts. 

"Nathaniel," she emotionlessly said, "Although the wound you left me is still very deep and raw... Seeing you today has only cut it deeper, but I have CHOSEN to forgive you... In fact, I've already forgiven you a very long time ago..."

The redhead was speechless for a moment. Even after everything he had done to Marinette, she still chose to forgive him... She really was incredible, but unfortunately for him, he was previously too blind to see it.

"Th... Thank you so much... There's nothing in this whole entire world that I can possibly do to make it up to you..." he mumbled through a few sobs. 

Marinette slightly nodded in agreement, "It's okay. Honest! There's nothing you can do to change the past, and we all make mistakes, but I can see that you really have changed... B... But thank you for your a... Apology..." 

Without a single hesitation, Nathaniel gave his ex-girlfriend a sad smile before speaking,"It's the very least I could do..."

An uncomfortable silence quickly filled the atmosphere as neither one knew what to say. 

Thinking of something to say, the artist clenched his fists tight and gave her one last glance, "I never thought I would get the chance to see you again... But since we now go to the same high-school, I'm very greatful that I get to see you more often. And maybe... Just maybe, if you are willing, we can be friends again..?" The desperation was evident in the way his voice was beginning to crack. 

Slightly looking up at him, Marinette frowned. The indecisiveness was slowly starting to way her down. Could she really be friends with the person who abused her senselessly? Who drove her to her own failed suicide attempt? 

A stream of milky tears began to trail down her pale cheeks at the excruciating memory. Her voice was hoarse and her eyes were empty. 

Hugging herself for comfort, she gave the boy an unsure look, "I... I just don't know." 

Nodding in agreement, the redhead understood right away that his suggestion was stupid. Why would she agree to be friends with him after everything he had done? 

"That's okay... It's a lot to ask, but either way I just hope that one day you will be able to give me a second chance..." 

Still holding herself for consolidation, the heartbroken bluenette slightly nodded. She had nothing else to say to him, and needed time to think. 

"I need time to think," she honestly admitted. 

He didn't know why, but Marinette's statement gave him a sense of hope. She didn't give him a clear answer, but that was more than enough for the time being. 

"Take all the time you need. And... I understand if you don't want us to be friends. I mean who would agree to be friends with the person who dragged then through hell for so many years...? But I just want to show you that I really have changed..." 

Suddenly interrupting the boy's soliloquy, Marinette gave him a blank stare,"Okay. You really do seem to have changed, but I can't just accept words at face value. As you yourself already know-" 

Giving her a slight wink, Nathaniel happily responded, "Of course! And I'll prove it to you. You'll see!" 

Knowing that neither one had anything else to say, they both decided to part ways. Although their relationship was completely destroyed, Marinette was greatful that Nathaniel had finally decided to apologize to her; even though it was a little late and unexpected. 

And although he had once caused her so much pain, he seemed like he really had changed... 

But she didn't want to think about it any longer. If she thought about him again, there was absolutely no doubt in her mind that she would start bawling her eyes out again. She quickly took in a deep breath and decided to take a peaceful walk. Hopefully that way her mind would be more at ease. 

***

Marinette found herself alone on a park bench for the second time that day, as she thought about her ex-boyfriend. By now her tears were all dried up, and any evidence of her previous breakdown was far from reach. 

As she continued to think about everything that had just happened, somebody sat down beside her. She didn't look up, and paid no attention to anything as she was just too heartbroken to care. 

"I know the feeling," the stranger suddenly said. His voice sounded vaguely familiar, which caused Marinette to hesitantly look up at him. 

It took a few seconds for her to realize that the voice belonged to none other than Adrien Agreste. 

"Adrien!?" She loudly shouted in surprise, not expecting to see him there. 

"Calm down, Marinette," he whispered while placing a hand over her mouth, "You're going to cause a scene!"

Gazing into his longing eyes for a split second, she felt herself relax and slowly moved his hand away from her mouth.

"I... I'm sorry, I just didn't expect you of all people to be in a place like this..."

The blond raised an eyebrow while giving her a questioning glance, "Me of all people? What is that supposed to mean?"

Marinette immediately covered her mouth, wishing that she had worded her sentence differently. She rubbed her neck in embarrassment and shyly looked away.

"I didn't mean it like that, I-"

"It's fine! I know what you mean..." He mumbled without looking at her. "You've judged me without even knowing me..." His tone was surprisingly sad.

Suddenly she felt her throat tighten and her heart begin to beat faster. Marinette instantly felt terrible. She had indeed judged him without even realizing it. 

And Adrien was right, she really didn't know him at all. All she knew was that he was a famous model, who played the piano, and that he had once experienced a terrible breakup. She knew nothing about his past, his family or even the simple things like his favorite colour, or favorite movie. 

She couldn't meet his eyes. The guilt was evident in the way her head hung low. 

'I should seriously learn to think before I speak...' She mentally scolded herself for being so careless. 

After a moment of contemplating her options, she hesitantly reached for his limp hand that rested upon his thigh. She hoped to get his full, undivided attention, without appearing too awkward. 

Adrien was left flabbergasted and didn't know how to register the unexpected gesture. His naturally dull eyes seemed to glow a bright shade of deep forest green in the welcoming sunlight. 

The blue in her pleading eyes was so stunning, it was almost unnatural. The broken boy's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he continued to stare, unable to look away. 

The sincerity that was concealed behind those marvelous bright blue orbs was impossible to ignore. For the first time in years, Adrien actually felt a sense of hope. 

Hope was slowly but surely beginning to replace the emptiness that lurked behind the cracks of his shriveled up soul. He remained speechless as he waited for her to say something. 

"Adrien, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I have a terrible habit of saying things without thinking. And you are right, I don't really know anything about you, and just assumed... Again I'm sorry, and please forgive me..."

The model looked at her with utter shock in his face. She was so sincere and honest, that he couldn't help feel the slightest ounce of adoration begin to flow throughout his veins. 

Marinette was so kind, that it was almost unbelievable. She apologized because she honestly felt bad for hurting his feelings without knowing it. She didn't do it for attention or because it was the right thing to do. She did it because she honestly cared. 

It felt so strange to be around someone who didn't care about his wealth, or the fact that he was Gabriel Agreste's son...

Maybe, just maybe he still had a chance to be someone normal. Marinette seemed to think so. So perhaps there was still hope. 

A slight blush covered his cheeks when he saw that their hands were still interlocked.

"... I Uhm... " He attempted to say something, but he just couldn't seem to find the right words. 

After seeing that he was struggling to form any logical sentences, Marinette immediately let go of his hand. She assumed that she had made him feel uncomfortable with her impulsive decision. 

She imagined that Adrien didn't like physical contact, and that was the primary reason for his sudden mental haze. 

"I... Am so sorry about that..." She shyly looked away while tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. 

An awkward silence quickly filled the space between them, as neither one knew what to say.

Adrien was feeling brave all of a sudden and decided to attempt to say something. He half-heartedly smiled while looking at the shy violinist.

"Hey, don't worry about it..." His face was still red, remembering how her warm hand fitted perfectly in his, "And it happens all the time, so I'm used to it by now," he said while he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. 

"Oh? But I still feel bad... It sucks when people just assume stuff about you without getting to know you first..." She sighed, knowing that it was the painful truth. 

Adrien half nodded his head in agreement. He experienced those feelings on a daily basis and often wished for a different life where no one cared about how he dressed, or who he hung out with, or even what he ate... 

His life was always filled with so much excitement, but he couldn't help but feel unbelievably lonely. Everyone loved the image he portrayed, but no one loved HIM. 

He couldn't help but feel a little jealous of Marinette. She had a very simple life, but at the same time she seemed to enjoy it. It was the little things in life that truly mattered, but he was never able to experience them. 

The thought alone brought sadness to his heart. It was becoming exhausting, and he didn't know how much more he could take. 

Unexpectedly breaking the silence, he spoke up, "Well, being an Agreste comes with putting up a front. You are expected to act a certain way. So people see your masked self as your true self. Which is why it was only natural for you to see me the way everyone else does..." 

Marinette's jaw dropped. All this time she thought he was just a stuck-up playboy who cared about no-one else but himself... But she couldn't have been more wrong... This just proved the fact that she really didn't know him at all... 

"Wow... That was..." She hesitated while searching for the right word, "Profound... And just so you know, you've just proven to me that you are nothing like everyone says. I still don't know much about you, but I can tell that you have something special. And if you're willing, I would love to discover what that is," she gave him a sweet smile while deeply staring into his emerald eyes. 

Adrien couldn't help but return the kind gesture. He gave her a genuine smile as a deep crimson blush instantly covered his naturally tanned cheeks. His smile wasn't fake or forced, and it wasn't one that she got to see very often; but most importantly it was meaningful and it was real. 

The blond could feel the warmth begin to flow inside the deepest parts of his gut. It had been so long since he had felt this happy... And it was all thanks to Marinette! 

He was usually quite reserved, but Marinette made all of that disappear in an instant. He knew that he could trust her, and was just so grateful that she accepted him for who he truly was. 

He was about to say something when his photographer unexpectedly interrupted him. 

"Adrien! Your lunch hour is finito!" He stopped when he spotted the two teenagers sitting together, "Ah.. I see that you've found yourself a girlfriend..."

Adrien immediately stared the Italian down, hoping that he would immediately stop talking. But unfortunately for the pianist, the enthusiastic photographer only continued to ramble. 

"You are a lucky one... The 'amor' that you seem to have for one another is stronger than anything I've ever seen in all of my years-" 

"Thank you, Vincent!!" Adrien angrily exclaimed through clenched teeth. 

He hesitantly looked over at Marinette who was as red as a tomato. He gave her an apologetic smile before turning his attention back to his obnoxious colleague. 

"But we are not together! We are just f... friends..!" 

Vincent looked at Adrien with a raised eyebrow. He found it difficult to believe what he was hearing, but he shrugged his shoulders as if nothing had happened. 

"What a shame... But if I were you, boy, I would not let the opportunity go to waste!" He gave the teenaged boy a devilish wink. 

The blond instantly shook his head in irritation, "Yeah... Yeah... Whatever." 

Adrien looked at his 'friend' and gave her an awkward smile. He rubbed the back of his neck while reaching out his other hand for a handshake, in order to signify their final goodbyes. 

It took a moment for the awkwardness to dissapate. 

Marinette was still feeling unsure, but she decided to give him a hug instead. He seemed like he really needed one, especially after the embarrassing moment he had just experienced. 

As she wrapped her arms around his relatively large body, he was instantly left paralyzed and didn't know what to do. He was super flustered and just hoped that she couldn't see his burning face. 

He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her petite frame, and smiled when he felt her head rest upon his rock-hard chest. It was a new experience, but he seemed to enjoy it. 

The embrace was surprisingly comforting, despite how awkward he felt. 

As he tightened his grip around her body, time seemed to stop as the world continued to spin around him. He felt safe and didn't want the moment to end, but he would never admit it out loud. 

To Adrien's disappointment, he felt the bluenette shift underneath him; She was letting him go. 

He looked sad for a split second before masking his sorrows with a fake smile. He waved goodbye to his friend as he watched her disappear into the crowd.

When he could no longer see her, he turned around with a big smile on his face. He no longer wished to live a life sheltered from the world. He wished to live a life filled with joy and gladness, and there was only one person who was willing to give him that... 

***


	9. Chapter Eight

Over the past couple of months, Marinette had learnt so much; not only school related, but about her friends as well.

Alya soon became the best friend she could have ever asked for. Her confidence and determination was something the bluenette really admired.

Every time Marinette openly admitted to not being able to accomplish a certain task, due to her illogical belief that she wasn't adequate enough, Alya Céssaire would cheer her on, until even she started to believe that anything was possible.

Silently watching the focused reporter from behind her history textbook, the curious teenager began to think about how lucky her friend was. Alya had such a great boyfriend who was always there for his girlfriend. 

A small part of her wished that she could also have what her friends had. She wanted that special someone who would be there for her during very difficult times. Who would willingly wipe away every tear she cried; to cheer her up whenever she felt like she wasn't good enough. 

Marinette longed to find true love. What she thought she had with Nathaniel was nothing compared to her definition of what love really was. At first the relationship was wonderful, but after he changed indefinitely, she soon came to realize that she had made a terrible mistake. 

Even thinking about it was painful. And she was ABSOLUTELY terrified of the possibility of history repeating itself. Initially Marinette had trusted Nathaniel with her life, yet that had unfortunately gotten her absolutely nowhere. In fact, it only made her realize how innocent and ignorant she was when it came to matters of the heart. 

Although she wanted to find true love more than anything else in the whole world, she was still extremely cautious and didn't know if she was willing enough to trust anyone just yet. 

It was true that she still had feelings for the mysterious, calm, sweet musician, but she was slowly starting to question her emotions. After some time of very intense introspection, the violinist came to realize that she was idolizing Luka. She was drawn to him because of his kindness and his exceptional, calm demeanor. 

It was so frustrating for her, because she knew that it was just a crush and besides that, Luka was taken. But even then, it was still so hard for her to let go!

Perceiving her friend's sudden mental anguish, Alya frowned before gently tapping Marinette's arm, "Hey girl... You alright..?" 

After coming back to reality, the blue-eyed girl violently nodded her head and gave the ombré-haired teenager a reassuring smile. 

"Y... Yes... Why d... do you ask..?" Marinette quietly asked, making sure that neither of them would get into trouble with the condescending librarian. 

She tried to sound confident, but the uncertainty was very evident in the way her eyes kept gazing all over the place. 

Alya immediately raised an eyebrow, "You sure..? You seem out of it or something..."

Nervously laughing, Marinette gave her best friend a fake smile before nodding her head for the second time, hoping that she wouldn't be asked any more unnecessary questions. 

"Yep! Everything is totally fine! I'm just tired from all these sleepless nights I've been having lately... These insomnia episodes have really started to take a toll on my mental health and all," the apprehensive teen continued to ramble, hoping that the subject would change. 

A moment of silence passed before the reporter suddenly got a light bulb moment. 

"Hmm... I think I know what the problem is..." She gave her friend a playful smirk, "I think the reason why you haven't been sleeping lately is because something or rather 'someone' is taking over all of your thoughts."

"Wh... What..?" The baker girl nervously questioned. 

Pushing her spectacles up along the bridge of her nose, Alya folded her arms before winking. 

"It's so obvious... Every time you think about him, your face turns a slight shade of pink," still smiling, Alya gently nudged her friend in the side, "Maybe a certain 'friend' who I see you hanging out with every single day..?"

Hearing those words made Marinette cringe with embarrassment. If Alya could tell, just by looking at her, did that mean everyone else could read her most intimate, private thoughts? 

Trying to act as naturally as possible, the anxious girl aggressively shook her head while frantically waving her hands in the air. 

"No!" She whisper-yelled, "I'm just thinking about this project and how we should go about it. You know... I've done some research and it seems like we have gotten our facts wrong-" the bluenette mumbled while pointing at the numerous pieces of paper that were scattered all over their desk. 

Alya gave her friend an unsure look. Marinette was acting stranger than usual, and couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't something else going on. 

Not allowing her questions to be left unanswered, the nosy reporter slightly nodded her head before verbalizing her thoughts. 

"Well in that case, maybe you should invite 'Adrien' to have some ice-cream with us later on-" 

Marinette's jaw instantly dropped. What was Alya insinuating?? Why would Adrien even be interested in having ice-cream with them? 

Besides, it was ice-cream for couples. For people who were actually in love! It would be totally weird to ask a friend that... In a way, it's almost like asking him on a date, and she wasn't going to do that! 

"Are you insane!" Marinette's voice was a little louder than she had initially anticipated, "I can't do that! That's SO weird, and he's not even interested in such things..." she remained silent for a moment before speaking up again, "But why Adrien..? I thought you were talking about Luka..." Her voice was so soft, it was almost inaudible. 

The girl with the spectacles sighed before looking at her friend with concern written all over her face. 

"I'm just saying... You both hang out like all the time. Every time he cracks a joke, you can't help but laugh, even when it's absolutely terrible! You don't even realize how happy he makes you and if I didn't know you guys, I would naturally assume you two were indeed an item," Alya honestly proclaimed. 

The bluenette was instantly frozen to the core. She found it almost impossible to believe. Adrien didn't like her in that way... Did he..? 

He only hung out with her because they were in the same band. He never saw her as anything more than just a friend. But then why did Alya's words make so much sense all of a sudden? 

She attempted to speak, but her words were trapped by all the shock and confusion. Her mind began to race and her heart began to loudly thump within her chest. The aggressive pounding of her heart was so noisy that she could barely even hear her own thoughts. 

Marinette's mind was becoming so loud and intense, that she could hardly even concentrate on the project, let alone Alya's not so recent discovery.

The conflicted female tightly clenched her jaw in confusion before unexpectedly standing to her feet.

Completely ignoring the reporter's previous ramble, Marinette blankly stared at her friend while pointing to the bookshelf behind her.

"I... Uh... I'm going to get us a few more books for our assignment... I have a question I need answered and I know just the book-"

The teen with the red ombré hairstyle was quite disappointed that her bestie couldn't see the truth. From where she was, it was so obvious that the popular model was really starting to fall for the clumsy baker. Every time she looked away, Adrien would purposefully steal a glance at Marinette, just so that he could acknowledge her exquisite beauty.

There was a definite change in his personality, which everyone could see. It was almost as if he was a completely different person, which was all thanks to the girl who was able to break down his once impenetrable emotional wall. 

Alya was previously so afraid that he would never be able to let go of his broken past, but now that Marinette was in his life, she had a lot of hope for him. Hopefully in time, the bluenette would realize just how amazing he was, but she was just too focused on Luka to even think about Adrien in that way. It was quite disappointing to say the very least, but hopefully as time went by, things would change for the better. 

Alya gave her friend a small smile, "Okay, see you soon." 

With that, Marinette silently started walking over to the history section. Although she was greatful for the wonderful tranquility that was present within the library, she couldn't help but continue to think about everything that was said.

A part of her actually wanted to believe everything. She wanted to believe that Adrien actually liked her and that she liked him back, but her heart was greatly troubled.

After everything he had gone through; all the pain and heartbreak... Was he really ready to let go and start over? But most importantly, did he really like her..? Marinette? The clumsy, baker girl who was a complete nobody. How could she ever make Adrien, the famous superstar model happy?

He was perfect in all his ways, but Marinette... She wasn't the least bit perfect at all!

As her brain continued to torment her relentlessly, she momentarily focused her attention on the books in front of her. She really didn't know which one to take. And due to the minor setback, it took her a little while longer than expected to pick one.

As she began flipping through the old, dusty pages of a book entitled, 'World War II', she could feel the presence of another human being behind her.

She continued to momentarily browse through the book until the unknown person started moving towards her. Marinette didn't pay much attention to them, as she naturally assumed that it was one of the library workers. 

But after a minute, her curiosity had reached the point of no return, and she just had to look up.

The moment her bright bluebell eyes found those all too familiar emerald green orbs, Marinette instantly shrieked in complete, utter shock. 

Without even thinking, she somehow managed to wack the defenseless boy with the book in her hands. 

"A... Adrien.!?" Her eyes immediately grew as wide as saucers when she realized what she had just done, "I... I am so so sorry! I really don't know why I did that. I-" 

Frantically apologizing, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand before giving her friend a very apologetic look. 

The blond couldn't hold back his laughter any longer, "Geez... Am I really THAT hideous, that you felt the urge to slap me right out of existence?"

Grimacing, the teenaged girl immediately raised her hands in defense, "No! If you were ugly in anyway, I'm sure you wouldn't be a model-" observing her friend's unreadable expression, she aimlessly tried to word her thoughts differently, "What I meant to say, was that you are beautiful-" Giving herself a face-palm, she decided to say something else, "I mean handsome! You are a very handsome young man, and I'm sure many guys would love to be in your shoes." 

It took a moment for Adrien to respond, but listening to her say such nice things about him made him feel butterflies in his stomach. Trying his best to act as composed as possible, the model brushed a hand through his hair. 

"Well thanks for the compliment. I appreciate it," the boy momentarily smiled, but his face fell when he remembered the truth, "but I highly doubt any of them would enjoy living my life-" 

Adrien had a point. Although he DEFINITELY had the looks, fame and money, living a life like that also came with many downfalls. 

Marinette knew that the popular teen only wanted to live a simple life, where he could just be himself while being constantly surrounded by all the people he loved. 

He hardly cared about his popularity or the fact that he was a famous fashion model. 

Looking at him now, the bluenette was greatful that she was in his life. She couldn't offer him much, but she was his friend; and that's what really mattered to him. 

"... You know... It's not all bad... At least you can still go to school and you have your friends... And even if you were to somehow lose everything, I'll STILL be here-" 

Gazing into his extraordinary eyes for a split second, she gave her friend a very kind smile. She needed him to know that he was special to her, and that even though his life wasn't as amazing as he wanted it to be, the young designer would be there to support him; no matter what! 

Admitting that actually made him feel a whole lot better. Marinette was right; like usual... He shouldn't be complaining, because he actually had so much to be thankful for. He had a life, most of his needs were met, and he had his friends; including the sweet, kind baker girl who was there to encourage him whenever he was feeling down. 

"You're right! I shouldn't be complaining-" he unconsciously touched the sensitive area on his face where he was previously hit, "An... And thank you. You are always here for me-" 

Adrien was about to say something else, but stopped himself when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his flesh. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw, hoping that the ache would instantly fade away. 

Giving him a guilt ridden stare, the awfully clumsy student thoughtlessly placed a hand on the spot where she had regretfully 'beaten him up'.

Her delicate fingers that were resting upon his slightly bruised skin, had somehow managed to cause his heart to skip a beat. The way her deep, longing eyes looked at him with so much concern and sympathy had instantly made his cheeks feel hot. 

His nerves were racing and he suddenly felt speechless. He swallowed hard, in hopes to minimize the burning sensation that he was feeling throughout his entire body. 

Her touch alone was intoxicating and he couldn't seem to get enough. Every moment he spent locked in her hypnotic stare was almost too much to bare.

The way her dark, midnight strands of silky hair gracefully fell over her forehead, really brought out the forgotten shades of ocean blue that were hidden behind the sea of untainted misfortune. Those beautiful glowing orbs of liquid sapphires only made the helpless romantic long for more. 

Although he would never openly admit that, he wished that he could remain like that forever. Wordlessly looking at his beautiful friend, Adrien's lips slightly parted as he didn't know what to say. 

"Oh my... I hope it doesn't leave a bruise," the bluenette raised her eyebrows in concern, "I am so terribly sorry! Your father is probably going to kill me now... Don't tell me you have a modeling shoot today. I-" 

Noticing her extreme concern with his well-being, the model knew that he needed to say something. She needed to know that it was an accident, and that it was really no big deal at all. 

Gently brushing his hand over hers, he lovingly gazed into her pleading eyes for a moment, taking her all in. 

"It's okay! And lucky for you, I am completely free today-" 

The minute Adrien said that, Marinette instantly thought about what Alya had previously said, '... Maybe you should invite 'Adrien' to have ice-cream with us later on-'.

Realizing that her hand was still resting comfortably upon his well-defined cheek bone, the blue-eyed girl quickly retrieved it. For reasons unknown to her, she could feel the heat suddenly rise to her own cheeks. 

She frowned as she tried to comprehend the very strange feeling that she was currently experiencing. Quickly shaking her head in confusion, she shyly looked away while tucking a single strand of hair behind her ear. 

Without thinking, she suddenly blurted out her thoughts. 

"Would you like to come and have ice-cream with me later today-" 

The unexpected question caused the blond to basically freeze on the spot. She had never asked him that before, and for some reason, it made him feel really shy and nervous. 

His cheeks instantly glowed a deep shade of crimson when he realized that she was referring to 'André's sweethearts' ice-cream'. 

In his mind, he never thought it was possible that he would get to see the day when Marinette would actually ask him that. He knew deep down that she was only being polite, and she was asking as his friend, but a small part of him was still hopeful that she meant it as something more... 

Instantly regretting asking him that, the designer knew that she needed to fix her mistake. She nervously giggled while vigorously waving her hands in the air. 

"... I mean... Alya and Nino are going as a couple for obvious reasons... And I just thought that... Well maybe you would like to tag along," searching his face for confirmation, she instantly cringed when she realized that it was stupid to ask, "Never mind! Forget I even asked. You probably have a lot of work to do and-" 

Cutting her off, the pianist gave her a small smile, "I'll come-" 

"Really..?" She was genuinely surprised by his response. She emotionlessly stared at the tall male who was towering over her. 

"Well yeah, sure. Since I'm free today, I won't let such a perfect opportunity go to waste. Besides, being the third wheel sucks," the boy's expression fell. 

Marinette silently looked at him for a split second as she wondered what he was talking about exactly. Maybe he was referring to his own unfortunate experience or something... 

Letting go of those unanswered questions, she smiled before picking up another book, "Great! Thank you so much for agreeing to accompany me on my journey down the lonely path of 'thirdwheeling'. Your noble acquaintance is greatly appreciated," she pulled a funny face. 

Smirking, the blond mirrored her movements before following her lead, "Only a pleasure, fair maiden who doesn't deserve my company. I am but a hopeless fool trapped in the realm of desolate misfortune, hoping to one day beckon thy faithful subject to her juty as a third wheel. And looking at you now, my dream has instantly morphed into reality," concluding his old-fashioned speech, the boy gave her a playful wink. 

A mischievous grin was still plastered on Adrien's face. A laugh suddenly escaped from his mouth which he earnestly tried to suppress. Seeing Marinette so happy and just being herself was one of the best dreams he could have ever asked for. 

Despite the fact that he knew that she would most probably never see him as anything more than 'just a friend' was really difficult to accept, but if that meant that he could get to be with her like he was right now, then that was good enough for the time being. 

Listening to her adorably cute laugh was amazing, because that meant that she was actually having some fun. It was rare to see the reserved violinist break free from her guarded life, but when he was there, it seemed like nothing was impossible. 

Completely forgetting where they were, an irritated voice angrily shushed them from behind the bookshelf. 

Regretfully looking at each other in mutual understanding, the two quickly stopped giggling and apologized to the stranger. 

Acting as though nothing had happened in the past couple of minutes, the two friends quickly searched for the books they were initially looking for. 

But before the blond found his preferred choice of academic literature, he took a peak at Marinette's book which read, 'Facts about World War II'. 

Breaking the silence that filled the space between them, he decided to obtain some insight into what Marinette was doing for the history project. 

"What are you doing your project on?" 

Momentarily glancing up at him, the baker shrugged her shoulders before lifting the book up so that he could read the title, "Alya and I have decided to do our assignment on World War two... What about you?" 

Adrien rubbed a hand along his chin, signifying his train of thought, "I'm not sure yet, but I was thinking about maybe doing 'The French Revolution', since we're French after all..." 

Marinette gave her friend a slight smile and nodded her head in agreement, "That's probably the best choice, since we have a lot of artefacts available in the Louvre museum and whatnot..."

They continued to engage in small talk for a while until the popular male had found what he was looking for. He placed three books in his arms before gesturing for Marinette to lead the way. 

She automatically did just that, before unexpectedly stopping right in her tracks. Her entire body was as stiff as a rock and the colour in her face immediately dissipated, leaving behind a pale, frightened little girl. 

Not knowing what to make of his friend's strange behaviour, Adrien suddenly felt quite concerned, hoping that she wasn't feeling sick or anything worse... 

"Marinette... Are you okay..?" His voice was soft, yet assertive. He needed to know that she was indeed okay. 

When he heard no response from her, he decided to quickly glance over in her direction. At first he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but when his eyes fell on a guy who had dark red hair, he suddenly felt a heavy lump in his throat. 

Adrien had seen that guy before, but he didn't really know much about him. But seeing the way Marinette reacted to his presence alone, was really concerning. 

The blond frowned as he gently tapped the bluenette's shoulder in hopes to wake her up from her unnatural trance. 

"Marinette..?" He repeated himself, only this time his voice was more desperate. 

Suddenly realizing where she was, Marinette needed to try her best to reassure him that she was indeed fine. She quickly nodded her head as she tried to smile. 

"Ye... Yes, I'm fine! I just got a little lost in thought there for a moment... That's all..." Nervously laughing, the bluenette gave her friend a thumbs up before breaking the intense eye contact. 

Giving her an unimpressed look, the model could see right through her. He could tell that there was DEFINITELY something going on, but he didn't want to push her. 

"Okay. But if there's something bothering you... You can tell me..."

Looking up into those pleading eyes for the last time, the talented designer gave him a weak smile before slightly nodding her head. There was no doubt that she trusted Adrien, but she didn't know if she really trusted herself. 

Every moment she thought about Nathaniel, she would sink deeper into the unforgiving realm of crippling melancholy. She didn't want to have to think about him right now, and she really didn't want to bother Adrien with her problems. 

"Don't worry. It's nothing-" 

Interrupting her, he gave her a very concerned look, "Alright. But please- tell me if something is going on. You look like you've just seen a ghost-" 

Seeing how concerned and caring Adrien was being towards her, Marinette couldn't help but give the boy a sickly sweet smile. Maybe Alya was onto something after all... 

"Thanks Adrien. Maybe later, but right now we really need to get going-" 

Not realizing how late it had gotten, the blond nodded his head. Although he wished she could just tell him what was bothering her, he knew that she would tell him when the time was right. But until then, he just hoped that it wasn't anything too serious. 

***


	10. Chapter Nine

As the once bright yellow sun faded into marvelous hues of red and orange, it was clear that dusk was approaching. The four friends stopped for a minute to acknowledge the magnificent beauty of such an enchanted sunset.

"Wow... It sure is beautiful," Marinette said, breaking the comfortable silence.

Looking away from the magnificent sky, three friends agreed in unison.

"Sure is. And you know what else is beautiful?" The DJ asked while mischievously grinning.

Marinette glanced at her friend with a blank expression written on her face. She merely shook her head, not knowing what he was talking about.

Before anyone could say anything, the playful teen proudly blurted out, "My hot girlfriend! That's what!" 

Instantly covering her face with one of her hands, Alya was feeling a mix between embarrassment and euphoria. 

Slightly rolling her eyes, she softly slapped her boyfriend's bicep, "Seriously babe! You don't have to let the whole entire world know that!" She whispered-yelled. 

Not wasting any time at all, the boy with the glasses lovingly wrapped his arm around Alya's shoulder. With his other hand he reached for her exposed hand before gently planting a kiss upon her knuckles. 

"Actually I do, since you're my entire world!" 

Still blushing, the ombré-haired teen gave him a sweet smile as she began to get lost in his beautiful golden eyes. Although he had slightly embarrassed her with his unexpected declaration of adoration, she couldn't help but feel extremely lucky to have Nino in her life. 

Smiling, she began to brush her fingers along his dark skin as she tightened her grip around his torso. 

Being there in his loving embrace was like a dream come true. Even though she had hugged him thousands of times before, each time felt better. 

As they continued to stay like that, Adrien who hadn't said much, glanced at his best friend, then at Alya and lastly at Marinette. He instantly felt a wave of embarrassment crash over him. He wasn't sure if it was due to the fact that he was playing the role of a third wheel, or perhaps it was because Marinette was there. 

While watching the happy couple act all lovey-dovey towards each other, the blond had to admit that he definitely felt a little awkward. 

After what felt like an eternity, Adrien cleared his throat as he hesitantly looked at Marinette who appeared to be lost in thought. 

"Now I see why you asked me to join you."

The blue-eyed girl paused for a moment before turning around to face him. 

Frowning she glanced up at him with confusion in her eyes, "Wh... What..?" 

Pointing in Alya and Nino's direction, the model made an unimpressed expression, "I had almost forgotten how awkward this was..." slightly cringing, he rubbed his hands together, "I know I'm probably not that great company for you, but in a way... I guess at least you don't have to experience this alone..."

Realizing what her friend was saying, Marinette instantly shook her head in disbelief. She slightly moved closer to him as she uncomfortably rubbed a hand along the back of her neck. 

"Why would you say that?" She honestly questioned, "I really DO enjoy your company. And I'm not just saying that to be courteous... I say that because I like you-" Mentally face-palming, she instantly regretted saying that, "I mean as a friend- It's just... I still like someone else..." 

Seeing how bewildered and somehow hurt Adrien appeared, the clumsy girl just wished that the Earth would open up and swallow her whole. She knew that if she opened her mouth again, she would undoubtedly make the situation a million times worse. 

Adrien's stomach instantly dropped. Deep down he knew that he was just a friend to her, but hearing her confirm it, was like a slap in the face. 

Despite the fact that deep down he still believed in the possibility of changing his fate, seeing her reject him, made it all the more difficult to hold onto the little bit of faith that he still had left. 

Trying to smile through the infinite amounts of pain and rejection, he sadly broke eye contact with her. Everything inside of him was screaming at him to just tell her how he felt, but his conscience was clear. He just couldn't do it! 

The silence was becoming unbearable! The disheartened blond mentally acquired all the strength he could master before faking a smile. He glanced into her unsure eyes momentarily, in order to hopefully 'reassure' her that everything was perfectly fine. 

'Quick! Say something before she thinks you hate her!'

He needed a plan. He NEEDED to convince her that he felt the same; that she was nothing more than a great friend, who he loved spending time with.

He couldn't dare tell her how beautiful she was looking right now, or the fact that her stunning bluebell eyes were absolutely gorgeous! He couldn't tell her how crazy she made him feel. She was the whole reason why he was trembling on the spot.

Nervously brushing a hand through his golden locks, he attempted to conceal the faint blush that was beginning to appear on his naturally tanned cheeks. Agrestively clenching his jaw, he quickly wiped the sweat away from his brow bone.

As he tried to control his crippling emotional state of raging misfortune, the broken boy looked at her again, only this time, his face seemed emotionless.

"That's g.. gr... great, because I... I feel the exact, same way-" His voice was cold, and his eyes were void, but he just hoped that his lie was convincing enough. 

He hated lying to her, especially about his feelings, but right now it was the safest option. 

Before he regretfully looked away, Marinette half smiled. Something about the way he was staring at her, with dull, faded eyes instantly caused a sharp pain to penetrante her chest. 

Hating herself more than ever, the bluenette remained silent. What could she POSSIBLY do to fix this? 

But luckily for her, Alya and Nino came to the rescue. Walking hand-in-hand, the loving couple gave their two single friends a wink before pointing ahead. 

"Look! It's André and his famous sweethearts' ice-cream," Alya loudly declared while dragging her boyfriend behind her. 

Looking ahead, Nino gestured for the others to follow them, "Thank the heavens! Feels like I've been waitin' an eternity for this..." Reading his friends' unhappy expressions, the skilled DJ instantly stopped, "Say... You guys okay?" 

Hearing her boyfriend say that, the teen with the hazel eyes vacantly glanced at Adrien and Marinette at the same time. They both seemed to be suffering a case of the blues, which was fairly unusual, considering that they were usually both in high spirits. 

Frowning in concern, Alya let go of the spontaneous teen's hand before placing both of her hands on the dejected friends' shoulders. 

"Did something happen between you two..?" She stared at them with so much intensity in her eyes, that it was almost deadly. 

Instantly looking at each other for some assistance, Adrien and Marinette quickly shook their heads. Despite their poor efforts to try and convince the others that nothing had happened, their faces gave them away for obvious reasons. 

Still staring them down through her spectacles, Alya raised an eyebrow. The disappointment was evident in the way she rolled her eyes as she subconsciously pinched the bridge of her nose. 

"I don't know what could have possibly happened to make you guys look so down in the dumps, but maybe something sweet will help-"

"Yeah. According to legend, they say that whoever eats André's ice-cream will not only fall in love, but remain together forever... Not even death can pull them apart," The young man with the amber eyes mockingly fluttered his eyes, while gracefully clumping his hands together in a girly fashion. 

When his moment of fame ended, he couldn't help but chuckle at his eccentric monologue. Although the tension was still evident, Nino hoped that his quirky sense of humor would help to brighten up the mood. 

Laughing along with him, the redhead reached over to Marinette's side, before whispering in her ear, "Here's your chance, girl!" 

Realizing what her bestie was implying, Marinette's eyes immediately grew wide with panic. Her lips slightly parted before giving Alya the death stare. 

While the girls were quietly engaging in conversation amongst themselves, Adrien who was still trying to repress the pain from earlier, tightened his fists as he attempted to fight the relentless negativity that was starting to weigh him down. 

Suddenly, he wished that he had previously declined the invitation. Maybe that way, he would have never heard Marinette say those painful words that had undoubtedly managed to pierce his fragile heart. 

But then again, he wouldn't have gotten the chance to spend some extra time with her. Even though they were just friends and it was merely a friendly outing, the hopeful young lad liked to imagine that it was a date of some sorts. 

Quickly shaking away those awfully depressing thoughts, he managed to fake a smile. He knew that he couldn't change the way Marinette felt about him, but that didn't mean that he had to stay grumpy. If he ever wanted the chance to change his fate, he NEEDED to try harder. Crying was not an option; that he realized now. 

Even though he was dying inside, he needed to try and be happy; for her...

Once the confident reporter had finished chatting to the bluenette, Adrien cautiously walked over to them.

"Although I don't believe that his ice-cream is magical-" he admitted while pointing to the relatively large middle-aged man who was standing behind the ice-cream stand, "Alya is right. Something sweet always seems to do the trick. So, what do you say, Mari... Would you like to try some?" 

It took a moment for the reserved girl to realize what her friend was saying. He had never called her 'Mari' before, so that was definitely a shock to her system. Even though it was a little unexpected, she couldn't help but like it. The way he said her name was almost like music to her ears. After years of everyone calling her by her full name, it was nice to hear a different, shorter, more graceful version of her name. 

Instantly blushing, the young lady shyly glanced into Adrien's emerald green eyes. There seemed to be the smallest ounce of hope trapped amongst the forgotten remnants of his once, shattered soul. Marinette tried to say something, but the embarrassment was just too overpowering. 

Noticing how timid the raven-haired girl appeared to be in that exact moment, Adrien suddenly reached out his hand for her to grab. He knew that she was having a hard time trusting herself, but maybe, just maybe she was willing enough to trust him. 

It took so long for Marinette to make up her mind, that the blond had almost retracted his hand entirely. He was beginning to feel like a failure; like nothing he ever did was good enough. But thankfully, just before all hope was lost forever, she reached out and touched his skin. 

As the two young adults locked hands, Marinette immediately felt safe. The brave male slightly repositioned his head until his unsure eyes finally found those baffling, ocean blue ones. When their eyes eventually met, he gave her a genuine smile while softly brushing his thumb along her sensitive skin. 

The clumsy baker girl was left feeling numb to the bone. Even though she knew that Adrien was only being kind and considerate, his touch alone was intoxicating. She was really struggling to try and understand her own feelings. If he was just a friend to her, then why did she feel so nervous all of a sudden? 

After searching and finding no answers to her endless questions, Marinette decided to stop thinking about it. At least for the time being... 

She returned his lovely smile before unconsciously squeezing his hand. The unexpected sensation instantly caused shivers to run down the blond's spine. Knowing that she trusted him was almost like winning the lottery.

He had come really far since the first time he met her. At first they definitely clashed, but as time went by, they eventually accepted each other's differences. Their unconventional partnership had undoubtedly blossomed into something beautiful. The bond that held the two friends together seemed to only strengthen with every passing day. 

Adrien was absolutely terrified of destroying such a perfect friendship, that he wouldn't dare do anything that would potentially sabotage it. Even if that meant that his feelings would forever remain a secret, at least he could die knowing that it was all worth it. 

In all that time, they had never really engaged in much physical contact. So, in a way, Adrien was feeling ecstatic. In his mind he was riding on cloud nine, not wanting this miraculous moment to end.

Walking hand-in-hand, Adrien leaned over before whispering in his friend's ear, "Which flavor are you getting?"

Hesitating, the unsure female began to search for an answer, "I uh... I'm not sure... I think all the flavors are delicious. I mean chocolate is one of my favorites, because it reminds me of Christmas, which is my overall favorite holiday. But strawberry is just as good, since pink is my favorite colour and all- But then again, mint is quite an unusual taste... But at the same time it's rather wonderful- So I guess I don't really know," she thoughtlessly scratched her jawline for a moment while slightly looking up at the tall boy. 

Softly laughing, Adrien nodded his head, understanding exactly what she meant,"Hmm... It sounds like you have a hard time choosing the best one... How about we ask André? He's an expert in his field after all..."

The blue-eyed girl was quite surprised by his suggestion. She hadn't even considered that opinion, but in that moment she was thankful that she had received an alternative. 

She immediately gave him a big smile before nodding her head,"Okay."

Without saying anything, the duo made their way over towards the old-fashioned ice-cream stand. 

Patiently waiting for Alya and Nino to receive their couple's ice-cream, Adrien and Marinette made eye contact with each other before smiling in mutual understanding. 

After the couple paid for their treat, Nino's cell phone suddenly rang. Reaching for his device, he handed the delicious cone to his girlfriend before momentarily excusing himself. 

Once Alya and Nino had left the scene, the friendly ice-cream man's face immediately lit up when his eyes fell on the familiar blond.

"Adrien Agreste! What a surprise it is seeing you tonight. And I see that you brought Kaga-" His facial expression saddened when he realized that Marinette wasn't who he had initially thought she was, "...Someone else..?"

It was obvious that he was definitely surprised to see Paris' famous supermodel teen without his former girlfriend. He frowned in confusion as he tried to fit the puzzle pieces together.

Adrien, picking up on André's confusing behavior decided to speak up.

"Hey André! It's great to see you too-"

Cutting him off, the 'matchmaker' gave the teenager a questioning glance before reaching for an ice-cream cone, "Are you two 'together'?"

The two friends quickly shook their heads simultaneously as a deep scarlet blush soon found its way to both of their cheeks.

"No! No! We are together in the sense of friendship, but n... not t... together like that- We are just f.. friends!" Adrien loudly exclaimed as he tried to reinforce his answer by using his hand as a catalyst. 

He slightly turned his head until his unsure eyes met the violinist's confused ones. Giving her an apologetic smile, he regretfully let go of her hand.

His hand already felt bare, and he longed for it to be covered by her delicate one that seemed to fit so perfectly in his. The warmth that radiated from her skin was like a drop of honey; sweet and wonderful, but above that, it only made him long for more.

Following her friend's lead, the talented violinist felt shy all of a sudden. She bit her lip as she anxiously thought of something to say; she needed to convince André that there was absolutely nothing between Adrien and her. 

"What he said! This is more like a 'friendly outing', if you know what I mean..?" Pointing to herself, then at the blond, she began to ramble, "We kindly agreed to accompany our friends, who are a couple by the way, on their not-so-romantic date. Adrien and I know that your ice-cream is reserved for couples, however we were wondering if you might have something that resembles friendship... I mean we are pretty 'close' friends, and since your ice-cream is magical and all, and it seems to always bring lovers together in the best ways possible, I was thinking that perhaps it can do the same for friends..."

Marinette's legs felt like jelly. When her spontaneous episode of word vomit finally came to an end, she cringed at her unbelievable awkwardness.

A deafening silence instantly began to consume them all. Right there, the clumsy girl knew that she should have just let Adrien do all the talking, since she had somehow always managed to make the awkward situations a million times worse.

Nervously rubbing her neck, Marinette couldn't meet his eyes. She didn't know what Adrien was thinking, but she assumed that it had to be something bad, since he was completely tongue-tied. 

She took in a deep breath in hopes to find some way to turn the awkward situation around. But luckily for her, André interrupted the uncomfortable silence.

"I'm sorry mademoiselle, but my ice-cream only works on lovers. And if you two eat my magical ice-cream, you will fall in love with each other..."

Marinette was disappointed by his response. She was hoping that there would have been an alternative for them. 

Without looking at the disheartened teenaged girl, Adrien reached for his wallet before pulling out his credit card, "Alright, we'll take one."

Marinette gave her friend a perplexed look. Why would he agree to buy one of those couples' ice-creams when they weren't even a couple? But then she remembered... Adrien told her that he didn't believe in the magic. Maybe that's why he agreed so quickly?

While the conflicted designer was still lost in thought, Adrien gave her a wink before grabbing the ice-cream.

"One couples' ice-cream for the two lovebirds," André happily declared as he handed the cone to the famous model.

Instantly rolling his eyes at the silly remark, Adrien thanked the well-known magician for the treat. After saying his final goodbyes, he turned around and gave Marinette the very tasty looking ice-cream.

The icy dessert was laced in chocolate syryp and dozens of colourful sprinkles that seemed to really compliment the scoops of mint and strawberry. And it smelt absolutely incredible. Maybe it really was magical after all...

"Here you go... It's all yours," the pianist nonchalantly stated.

Her face was emotionless. Why was he giving it to her?

"B... But what about you?"

Shrugging his shoulders he gave his friend a small smile, "Well since it's ice-cream for couples, I doubt you would want me to share it with you- Besides, you were the one who wanted ice-cream to begin with... And plus, I'm still on a strict diet, so I shouldn't even be eating that," his voice was soft, and his usually bright forest-green eyes seemed to conceal frustration. 

The bluenette suddenly felt sympathetic towards him. She had only ever seen him eat foods that were considered 'healthy', except for that one time he had a croissant from her bakery. And even then, it wasn't even that unhealthy. 

Marinette hadn't really thought about it much, but being a model seemed like a lot of work. Adrien always missed the opportunity to hang out with his friends, he had to constantly keep his body in shape, and onto of that, he couldn't even eat properly...

"But you said that you don't believe in the magic, and besides... No one will know..." She mischievously grinned as she playfully nudged him in the side.

It took about thirty seconds for the sunshine child to let down his guard. He knew that he would most probably regret it later on, but he also knew that he might not get another opportunity like this ever again.

His face lit up as he decided to go with Marinette's option of being rebellious.

"Okay, miss feisty pants... But if you find me dead tomorrow, don't say that I didn't warn you," smirking, he jokingly pointed his finger in her direction. 

"Well in that case, I'll just have to avenge your death!" 

The intrigued male raised an eyebrow, "And how exactly do you plan on doing that? Are you secretly Rapunzel in disguise? And do you have magical hair that can bring anyone back to life, when you sing a simple song?" 

Marinette bit her lip as she attempted to try and repress the bursts of laughter that were coming. 

Laughing, she stuck out her tongue,"If anyone is Rapunzel, it's you! I mean you have the same hair and eye colour as her, and you've both been grounded for eighteen years... It's just a matter of time before a princess unknowingly infiltrates your tower and rescues you from 'father Gabriel' and you eventually get married and live happily ever after!"

Adrien couldn't hold it in any longer. His adorable laughter just exploded, filling the atmosphere with infinite amounts of fun and happiness. 

At home he rarely laughed. He could never be his true self, but when he was with Marinette, all of that changed. She always brought out the best in him. And for that, he was eternally greatful. 

The two friends had almost forgotten where they were. As their contagious laughter eventually came to an end, they turned around when they heard footsteps coming towards them. 

When they saw Alya and Nino's expressionless faces, their hearts instantly felt heavy. Not knowing what to expect, they looked at each other with concern in their eyes. 

"Hey my bro and dudette... So my dad just called... Apparently my grandmother was just admitted to the hospital..." Nino muttered as he continued to make his way over to his friends. 

Marinette couldn't believe it... She instantly covered her mouth as she run up to hug her dejected friend. 

"Oh my gosh, Nino... I'm so sorry! I hope she'll be okay..."

Placing his hand around the short girl's back, he slightly smiled, greatful for the support, "Thanks Marinette. I really hope so too."

After a moment had passed, Nino let her go before walking over to his best friend. Despite the fact that he was still feeling down, he managed to smile. He reached his hand out for a fitbumb. 

Knowing what to do, Adrien closed his hand into a fist and softly tapped his buddy's. 

"I'm really sorry, Nino. I know what it's like to be in that type of situation," the blond gave his pal a sad smile, remembering how painful it was to see his mother in a very similar predicament. "But I'll be thinking about you and your grandma. And if there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to call."

Nodding his head, he waved goodbye before turning around, "Thanks, Adrien I will."

As Nino began to slowly pace in the opposite direction, Alya gave Adrien and Marinette a quick hug to signify her final goodbyes.

"Goodbye you two! I really wish we could stay a little longer, but we need to leave now." Her expression softened, "I hope you guys will be alright-" 

Giving her best friend a sad smile, the blue-eyed girl softly tapped her shoulder, "Thanks Al... And please drive safely. And if anything happens, please give us a call..."

"Thanks girl! Will do... And see you tomorrow, and I hope the rest of your evening is magical," Alya's facial expression momentarily changed to a happy one, as she gave them both a quick wink. 

Marinette instantly blushed. She wasn't sure if Adrien knew what the reporter was implying, but either way it still made her feel a little nervous. 

Mumbling under her breath, the clumsy teenager shyly nodded, "Okay... Th... Thank you..."

Smiling for the last time, Alya waved goodbye to her friends before turning around to catch up to Nino, who was already basically out of sight. 

With that, Adrien and Marinette were left alone. Both of them felt a little awkward, but that feeling soon faded away when they quietly began to chat amongst themselves. 

When there was nothing else left to say about Nino, the friends decided that it was best to find a comfortable place to sit. 

Together they sat in silence while enjoying their delicious dessert. As they continued to enjoy the stillness of the wonderful evening, Marinette unknowingly stole a glance at Adrien, who was thoughtlessly staring up into space. 

He seemed so happy. So free. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about, since his lips were turned up into a sweet smile and the sparkle in his eye had returned. 

In her mind, she wondered if he was thinking about someone in particular... Maybe he allowed himself to fall in love again. Perhaps he finally let go of his ex, and was ready to move on to someone who actually deserved him. And if that was true, Marinette just hoped that the girl he would one day choose, would love him for him. Not some crazy fangirl who just liked him because he was popular, rich and handsome. 

Placing another scoop of ice-cream into her mouth, she began to wonder why Adrien didn't believe. Her feelings towards him hadn't changed since she took her first bite. She wasn't sure whether or not she even believed that the ice-cream was magical, but she was just curious as to why the blond didn't believe. 

"Just out of curiosity... Why don't you believe that this ice-cream is magical? I mean I don't either... But why don't you..?"

Reverting his gaze away from the starry sky, Adrien seemed quite surprised by his friend's sudden question. After rearranging his thoughts, he sighed before looking away again.

"There was a time when I believed..."

Growing more and more curious by every passing second, the bluenette stared at her friend in anticipation, "Really..?"

"Yeah. I used to come here with Kagami all the time. But look at me now. She's a closed chapter for me."

Marinette was struggling to pay attention to what Adrien was saying. All she heard was the name 'Kagami'.

"Wait... Kagami!? As in the ice queen??"

Her eyes instantly grew as wide as saucers when she realized what she had said. She quickly covered her mouth before trying to apologize.

"Oh my gosh, Adrien... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-"

Cutting her off, Adrien gave her a small smile, "It's okay! And yeah, I loved her more than she ever loved me," seeing Marinette's sour face, the blond quickly made an effort to brighten the mood, "But hey, that's in the past now. There's no use crying over spilt milk."

The violinist remained silent as she continued to listen to his every word. All this time she had never known who his former girlfriend was, but now that she knew, it was almost unbelievable.

Marinette knew Kagami from one of her classes, and every time she tried to speak to her, she wouldn't get much reaction from her. She was an extremely difficult character to try and figure out. Her vibe alone was like a million blades slicing through your flesh at once; it was cold, lifeless and depressing.

But on the other hand, Kagami was absolutely stunning. She had a beautiful, delicate face and an amazing figure. She was extremely talented in the art of fencing, and she didn't seem to care at all about what anyone said about her.

Although she wasn't very warm or friendly, she was extremely goal-oriented and independent. She definitely had quite a few attractive characteristics. And looking at her from Adrien's perspective, Marinette could definitely see why he had chosen her.

"Oh. I get it now... Perhaps André's ice-cream only works on soulmates- Not that I mean she isn't your soulmate or anything... But maybe that's why it didn't work out for you guys-" Regretting speaking for the umpteenth time that evening, the awkward girl mentally face-palmed, hoping that Adrien wasn't angry with her.

The unsure male was quiet for a moment as he began searching for the right thing to say. Knowing Marinette for a few months now, he was used to her saying stuff that might have been considered offensive to other people, but he knew that she was just trying to make him feel better.

"Don't worry, she's DEFINITELY not my soul mate... Back then, I was very naive, and I didn't really understand my feelings. Kagami really caught my attention because she was so stubborn and unique. I had never met a girl like her before, so I got caught up in my own fantasies... I honestly believed that she loved me, but I couldn't have been more wrong... "

Admitting that was difficult, because it made the teenaged boy remember how much of a failure he was when it came to relationships.

The bluenette suddenly felt really sad. Hearing Adrien admit that really took guts. Since he had always dodged the subject, Marinette knew that it just hurt him too much to bring up the past. But she was greatful that he finally trusted her enough to open up. 

Hesitanting for a moment, the nervous designer reached for his exposed hand, "Thank you for telling me that. And I'm really sorry about everything that you went through... But maybe in time, you will find a wonderful girl who will treat you the way you TRULY deserve. And I'm no love expert, but even I can tell that she didn't deserve you!"

Adrien was instantly rendered speechless. He swallowed hard as his hands began to slightly shake. Every time they touched, a shockwave of electricity would instantly paralyze his entire body. He was enslaved by her charm; spellbound by her exotic beauty and amazing kindness. 

Marinette's words were so sincere, that the model knew that he was in trouble. Staring into those all too familiar sky-blue orbs of metaphorical peace and mystery, he was anxiously fighting the urge to reach over and kiss her. 

His eyes began to trail away from her eyes, until they stopped at her plum-looking, shiny, pink lips. Looking at them from a distance, the conflicted blond began to wonder what they would feel like upon his own. 

They just seemed so perfect, so warm, and just so, so kissable...

Realizing that he was loosing control of his extremely unpredictable thoughts, he bit his lip as he tried to shake them away. Once again, he was getting caught up in his own fantasies. Fantasies that were never, ever going to turn into reality! 

Adrien knew that it was merely wishful thinking, because Marinette's heart belonged to someone else. It really was painful, knowing that all of his failed attempts were in vain and they were meaningless to say the least. 

Without even realizing it, he began to shift his body towards Marinette's. Resisting the suffocating desire that was burning from within the center of his stomach, he gave her tiny hand a slight squeeze. 

Finding it impossible to look into her eyes for even one second longer, the helpless boy looked away. 

Blushing, he forced himself to speak, "Th.. Thank you, Mari... That's very kind of you to say-" 

The raven-haired teen felt her heart skip a beat. There was that nickname again... 

Without meeting his longing eyes, the girl smiled at him. It was true that they were great friends, and that she really did enjoy hanging out with him, but the way he was just being so sweet and vulnerable at that moment made her somehow start to see him differently. 

She instantly bit her lip when she thought about it. Was the ice-cream really magical after all? Or perhaps she was previously just too blind to see the real, fun-loving, sweet Adrien Agreste. But either way, she really liked what she saw.

Marinette suddenly broke the awkward silence, "Y.. You are welcome."

Not needing to say anything else, neither one spoke a word. Together, they sat in a comfortable silence as they continued to enjoy each other's company.

Although she hadn't expected her evening to turn out THIS amazing, Marinette was actually really greatful that she had taken a leap of faith and asked her 'friend' to join her. 

The more time she spent with him, the more the conflicted baker wanted to get to know the real Adrien Agreste. He was just so mysterious, and interesting. She wanted to learn everything about him. She couldn't seem to get enough, which was stange, considering the fact that her heart was still bound to someone else.

Marinette didn't know what to do anymore. She was so confused about her feelings, but she just hoped that in time, everything would make perfect sense.

***


	11. Chapter Ten

Marinette sat behind the bakery's counter, while watching her favorite series, 'The Idiosyncratic'. 

It was a jaw dropping tale set in the year 2347. On a cold winter's morning, a mysterious test subject named Jack, found himself trapped in the wrong time period. 

He felt isolated and alone, until he met Isabella. An outcast who dreamt about romance and adventure. Her kindness immediately caught his attention, and they soon became very close friends. 

Their differences brought them together, and they eventually fell in love. Their love for each other grew stronger every day, until Jack was unexpectedly pulled back into his own time period. 

The traumatic experience had weakened his power significantly, to the point where he could die if he attempted to go back to Isabella...

Marinette was dragged into a realm filled with angst and curiosity, as she continued to watch her favorite characters fight for their undying love for each other. She was so lost in what she was doing, that she didn't even hear the front door open. 

"Do you perhaps sell anything to mend a broken heart?" 

The bluenette was instantly brought back to reality when she was hit by those very unexpected words. His voice was laced with pain and fatigue, causing Marinette to grimace in confusion. 

His guitar case was resting on his arched back as his head hung low; his eyes hopelessly glancing into nothingness. He didn't say anything, as he continued to stare far ahead, into the unknown depths of unrelenting despair. 

It was obvious that his heart was crushed and his soul was torn. His entire demeanor had changed, in a way that seemed unnatural. Standing there, in the silence with all hope lost, the once cheerful musician couldn't even find the strength to meet his friend's eyes. 

Marinette was a very good listener, and due to that simple reason, Luka would often find himself enjoying spending time with the her. She was just so thoughtful and understanding, that it was sometimes hard to stay away. 

He would often stop by after a long day to buy a box full of his favorite desserts. The talented young man seemed to really enjoy Marinette's company, as he would often initiate a friendly conversation about all sorts of random topics. 

But today was different... He was quiet, and unresponsive. He seemed to be carrying the entire world upon his shoulders; collapsing under the weight of so much regret and disappointment. 

"I'm s... sorry..?" The blue-eyed girl questioned her friend's very unusual behavior. 

Without speaking a word, he turned around, revealing his dejected blue eyes. He wore a dark hoody which hid is face amongst the shadows, attempting to conceal his internal anguish. 

Marinette was bewildered, and honestly didn't know what to say. She had known Luka for a few months now, and in all that time, not once had she seen him look so defeated. She stared at her friend with a puzzled expression while awkwardly rubbing her hands together. 

"Luka..? Is everything okay?" Her voice was laced in fear and concern. 

After a crippling moment of very intense silence had passed by, the blue-haired boy looked up at Marinette with dull, faded eyes. His usual kind smile was no where to be found. This worried Marinette a lot. She could tell by the depressed look on his face, that something was definitely wrong. 

She felt the slightest bit of hope when her unsure eyes fell on a pile of freshly baked pastries. She didn't know how to solve Luka's unnamed problem, but she had a pretty good idea about how to minimize its traumatic effects. 

"Don't worry... You don't have to tell me," she spoke up in a calm, soothing tone. She gave the miserable looking lad a sweet smile while picking up a donut that was laced in chocolate glaze. 

The young guitarist remained silent while watching his very considerate friend place the delicious treat on a plate. He was greatful that she wasn't pushy and that she respected his privacy. 

Even at his darkest moment, Marinette was the one who had somehow managed to turn his terribly depressing mood into a slightly less miserable one. There was just something in the way her eyes were looking at him, with so much kindness, that the unhappy male couldn't help but smile. 

The teenaged boy couldn't understand it, but he didn't even care; he was just thankful that he came to her first. 

"Here," she softly said while handing him his favorite type of donut. "It can't fix a broken heart, but something sweet always seems to help," she instantly smiled, remembering how her own experience with Adrien and the sweet 'couples' ice-cream' had undoubtedly turned out quite incredible. 

"Thanks, Marinette. I appreciate it," he gave her a sad smile as he reached for the plate. 

Neither one said anything for a while. Luka took a bite out of his donut while stealing a couple of glances at his friend every now and then.

He wondered what she was thinking about. She seemed to be lost in a realm too far from his reach; as if her mind was locked away, unable to be set free. 

Looking at her from a distance, the musician was intrigued, and wanted to unlock the secrets of her mind. Luka wanted to understand her way of thinking. He began to wonder if she would be willing to give him some useful advice. 

Although he knew she was single, she seemed to know a lot about relationships. And due to that belief, the young man just hoped that his assumptions were correct. 

He suddenly broke the comfortable silence with an unexpected question, "Have you ever experienced a break up?" 

Marinette looked at her friend for a moment before exhaling, "I... Uh... Y... Yes, I have..."

"Really..?" He asked in a sceptical tone. 

"Ye... Yes... But it happened a long time ago... W... Why do y... you ask?" 

"I was just wondering... It's just... Your life always seems so simple and put together. Those experiences change people, and usually not in a good way..."

"Yeah... Well that's because I make it look that way. I've experienced pain just like everyone else, but the difference is, that I chose to move forward. The people who change for the worst, are often the same types of people who cannot forgive themselves." 

She looked to the ground with persistent anguish in her glassy eyes, remembering the exact moment Nathaniel had intentionally crushed her innocent, little heart. 

Luka was really intrigued by what Marinette had just told him. She seemed to always conceal a large portion of who she really was, and her answer just proved his assumptions to be true. 

He was really interested, and wanted to know more about her. She understood life, and knew what pain was. She was so kind, despite the many years of emotional isolation that she had endured. She was a walking contradiction, but that's what made her so special. 

"My life may look simple and put together, but that's because you are looking at me from the outside." She quickly concluded her thoughts; putting emphasis on her main point. 

"Fair enough," he gave her a very small smile, "But how did you get over it? The break up, I mean." 

The bluenette sighed as she thought about it. She looked up at her friend before turning around, in hopes that he wouldn't sense her failing emotional turmoil. 

"It... It was honestly very difficult in the beginning, because I had known him since I was a toddler, and I had no reason to doubt him. But something happened... And... He changed-" 

She was suddenly interrupted when a large hand rested upon her shoulder. She immediately turned around, only to be met with eyes that were filled with infinite amounts of understanding. 

"I'm so sorry, Marinette. I can't imagine anyone not liking you..." His voice was soft yet unsure. 

Luka's sweet words caused the baker to blush a deep shade of red. She felt her heart pounding against her ribcage, as she continued to stare deep into his mysterious, blue eyes. 

She knew that it was wrong to feel this way towards him, because he had a girlfriend. But besides that, he never saw Marinette the way she saw him. 

She really was trying to forget him, but with him being there, while he was gazing into her longing eyes made it basically impossible. 

The violinist's heart skipped a beat, as she aimlessly continued to stare deeply into those magnificent sky blue orbs. 

His eyes were like the ocean. They were so vast and beautiful, but at the same time they were absolutely terrifying. 

"... Yeah, well lucky me... I don't have to imagine..." She sadly confessed. 

"Hey... Don't say that! There are so many people who like you. I mean, there's Alya, Nino, Adrien... And so many other people, that it's hard to even keep count..." The boy gave her a genuine smile, hoping to help her feel a little better, "But even if that were somehow true, there's still one person who could never hate you," he remarked while giving her a friendly wink. 

She shyly looked away and blushed. Luka was just so sweet, and he always seemed to know how make her feel better. 

"And if it makes you feel any better, Chloé broke up with me today..." His tone was very bitter, and his eyes were dull and unknown. 

Marinette's eyes widened in complete shock. She thought their relationship was going great... 

"What!?" 

The talented musician sighed and looked away, "Yeah... Apparently she thinks I cheated on her... I mean I was never unfaithful. Not even once! I just don't understand..." 

Marinette glanced at him with compassion in her eyes, knowing how difficult it must have been for him. Without thinking, she reached over and gave him a meaningful hug. 

Luka was a little surprised, but he instantly smiled before hugging her back. He closed his eyes as he held onto her; enjoying the warmth and security that she seemed to provide. 

After a moment, the two let go of each other without muttering a single word. 

Marinette looked into his longing eyes before reverting her gaze to the floor. 

"I'm REALLY sorry, Luka... But maybe it was just not meant to be..." 

He looked at her with uncertainty, but he knew that she meant well. He gave her a very small smile before nodding his head in agreement. 

"Yeah, I guess so," he subconsciously shrugged his shoulders. "But it still hurts, you know? I dated her for like a year, so it almost feels as if I lost a part of myself." 

The blue-eyed girl felt really bad for him, because he was someone who didn't seem to handle emotional situations very well. He was so blinded by Chloé's 'perfections', that he didn't even realize that she was manipulating him the whole time. 

"I get it, but you should really try to move forward. If she won't give you a second chance, even after you've proven yourself not guilty, then she really doesn't deserve you!" 

He nodded his head again, but he was still feeling very indecisive. He knew that Marinette had a valid point, but he wasn't ready to let Chloé go, because she was there for him when no one else was. 

He knew that she had a lot of problems, and she didn't always know how to overcome them on her own. But when he was with her, Luka had a reason to continue playing the guitar. He had a reason to wake up every morning. He had a reason to live. 

Chloé was someone who wore a mask; no one knew the real her. But Luka, he knew her all too well. 

He knew that her mean, snobbish attitude was just a cover-up that she used, to hide the immense amounts of pain that she experienced at home. Because of the way she grew up, she had a hard time knowing how to love and take care of others. 

But the sweet, kind musician was lucky enough to show her what true love really was. It took ages, but Chloé did change for the better. 

She still had a hard time understanding kindness, but the progress was definitely evident. She actually became a genuinely, likeable person, but all of that changed when her own mother publicly humiliated her. 

That extremely unfortunate event in her life was the final straw. The blonde was left broken beyond repair, and no one, not even Luka could fix her. 

"I-" 

Just then the front door opened, causing both Marinette and Luka to stop talking and turn their attention to the door. 

At that exact second, Kagami Tsurugi entered the Dupain-Cheng bakery. When she glanced over at the two friends, she immediately made an unimpressed expression before making her way over to the front desk. 

"Good day, Marinette. Luka..." 

Luka cringed and instantly rolled his eyes in annoyance, wishing that she would just leave. 

"Hello, Kagami..." Marinette greeted her classmate. She could sense the growing tension in the room, but tried her very best to ignore it. 

Finally knowing the truth about Kagami made the violinist suddenly feel faint. She tried not to think about it too much, but it was becoming increasingly difficult. 

Marinette was trying to act composed, but every time her eyes accidentally fell upon the condescending girl with the fierce brown eyes, her hands would slightly tingle. She couldn't stop thinking about Adrien and how he must have felt when his former girlfriend had completely destroyed him. 

Her heart broke at the thought alone. She couldn't understand why someone would be so cruel and selfish towards another human being. He definitely deserved so much better than that manipulative ice queen!

Even though Kagami was a very pretty girl, Marinette still wondered how the blond could have fallen for someone like that. In her mind, she imagined him being much better suited with someone who was approachable, kind, understanding and overall a good person. But then again, maybe opposites really do attract... 

Responding without words, the short Japanese girl merely nodded her head without looking at either of them. 

"I've heard that this place sells the best pies in all of Paris. Is that correct?" Her voice remained cold and emotionless as she vacantly glanced at the baker girl, while impatiently waiting for a response. 

"Uhm... I don't know... I guess..?" Marinette awkwardly replied, not really knowing how to answer the question.

The brown-eyed girl raised an eyebrow in disgust as she continued to stare at the food.

"I hope for your sake it is... I'll take a pumpkin pie, if you don't mind. It's for my mother. Today is her birthday, and pumpkin pie is her favorite!"

Kagami looked up at her acquaintance for a split second before reaching inside her bag for something. When she seemed to find what she was looking for, she pulled her hand out and gave her credit card to Marinette.

As the awkward baker took the card without muttering a single word, Kagami slightly gazed over at Luka who was quietly sitting in the corner of the room.

After feeling a pair of eyes stare holes into the back of his head, he looked up and gave her an irritated stare. 

"What is it, Kagami!?" His tone was coated with anger and immense amounts of frustration. 

"I heard about your breakup," she casually admitted. 

"And what is it to you?" Luka raised an eyebrow. 

"Oh nothing really." She nonchalantly verbalized her opinion, "It's about time you ended things with that bitch. I mean it's so obvious that she was using you this whole time..." 

Those words caused Luka's untainted fury to intensify to the point where he couldn't hold it back anymore. His teeth clenched together and his fists tightened with rage. 

He looked at her with hate and anger burning in his icy blue eyes, which only seemed to fuel the extreme negative emotions that seemed to possess him. 

"Like you are any different... And for your information, she ended things with me! And I really don't need relationship advice from a thot!" 

Silence instantly filled the space between the teenagers, as no one dared to say anything. It was deafening, and only seemed to magnify the tension in the room by ten fold. 

Kagami was immediately taken back by Luka's harsh words. She was used to him giving her the silent treatment, but this was something new. 

She had apologized a thousand times already, but it was never good enough... She knew that what she had done was unforgivable, but that didn't change the fact that he could have at least tried to see things from her perspective!

Marinette looked at Luka then at Kagami. She was a little confused, but at the same time she felt really out of place. She didn't really know what they were going on about. She naturally assumed that they were referring to Adrien and Kagami's breakup, but she didn't really care. All she wanted was some peace and quiet! 

She had to say something before the arguing stared again. She gathered up some confidence before attempting to fix whatever was broken. 

"I can see that you are both angry, but please-" 

Kagami raised her voice, completely ignoring Marinette, "He brought it upon himself! If he hadn't acted so distant towards me when I needed him most, none of this would have happened!" 

'What is she talking about..?' Marinette silently questioned before her thoughts were rudely interrupted. 

"Pfft... That's absolutely no excuse for what you did to him... And to me!" He shouted while aggressively pointing a finger at Kagami. "Cheating is wrong, no matter the reason!" 

Luka was breathing so fast, that he was afraid that he was going to pass out. He never knew that it was possible to hate someone, but he was proven wrong the day he found out that he was just a rebound to the girl he once trusted with all his heart. 

And on top of that, she never even told him about Adrien... In her sick, twisted mindset, she made him believe that he was the only one. She convinced him that she loved him, and he believed her...

Seeing her again only brought back those painful memories of the past, that would never be forgotten. Kagami's lies and decit were so cleaver, yet revolting. 

To her, it was nothing but a game. She never once cared about either of them, and even now, she still didn't care. 

'Did to him... Wait... Does that mean..!?' The awkward baker girl anxiously questioned. 

Marinette suddenly felt sick to her stomach, and her heart sunk. She knew that Adrien's ex was ruthless and that she did some pretty terrible things, but THIS was totally unexpected! Now knowing the whole truth, the bluenette could never see her acquaintance the same ever again... 

"..." Kagami had nothing left to say. She knew that Luka was right, but she wouldn't openly admit that. 

"Nothing to say!? Just as I thought!" He spat. 

Ignoring the fencer, Luka quickly walked over to Marinette. He was still fuming, but he tried his best to control his raging anger. He wasn't in the mood to listen to Kagami's excuses any longer, and decided that it was just best for him to leave. 

He really enjoyed his little chat with the kind violinist, but the last five minutes just intensified his bottled up negativity. He pinched the bridge of his nose before giving Marinette an extremely weak smile. 

"Thanks for the donut and your hospitality. I would have loved to finish our conversation, but I'm afraid that I have to leave now..." 

The blue-eyed girl awkwardly smiled and nodded her head. She understood her friend's reason, and honestly didn't blame him for not wanting to be there for even one second more. 

"Oh... Okay, no problem... See you around..." 

Marinette secretly wanted the male to hang around so that they could finish their conversation, but for obvious reasons, she knew that his decision to want to leave was valid. She just hoped that she would still get the opportunity to speak to him in the days to come. 

The guitarist waved goodbye to Marinette without acknowledging Kagami. He immediately raced out of the exit, without looking back. 

He was a little disappointed in himself for calling Kagami out like that, but he just couldn't control his emotions any longer. He had bottled them up for years, not wanting to even think about it, but today he just snapped. 

Marinette watched him leave as the tension only seemed to intensify. When Luka was no longer in sight, she rubbed her neck and looked at the girl whose eyes remained fixed on the floor. 

"I made one dumb mistake..." 

Marinette didn't know how to respond to that. She knew that Luka wouldn't lie, and the way he reacted, definitely seemed to indicate that he was indeed telling the truth. She had a heavy heart, and didn't know what to do about it. 

The blue-eyed girl wasn't ready to trust anything Kagami said, but she was still willing enough to stay and listen. Perhaps she would get a deeper understanding of why the cold-hearted fencer did what she did. 

Attempting to make small talk, Marinette spoke up, "We all make mistakes..." 

"Yeah, but this was an unforgivable mistake. Luka hates my guts, and Adrien will never speak to me again..." The brown-eyed girl nonchalantly admitted. 

Kagami seemed to exhibit absolutely no remorse whatsoever. Her tone was as dry as the Sahara desert, and her eyes were as cold as ice. Her soul was still as dark as ever, and her heart was hard as stone. 

Even though she knew that her sins were unforgivable, she honestly didn't care. She apologized for all her wrongdoings, but it was their choice whether they wanted to forgive her or not. Kagami wasn't going to sit around and wait to be forgiven; what's done is done. 

"Be careful, Marinette."

"Wh... What?" She curiously asked. 

"Learn from my experience. Choose very wisely when it comes to love, because if you don't, you'll lose everything..."

"Yeah?" Marinette questioned, hoping that Kagami would tell her more about her past relationships. 

"Indeed. It's no secret that Adrien and I were once a couple. Everything was perfect, until he lost his mother... He became distant and started spending lots and lots of time with that bitch, Chloé! And I got REALLY jealous-" Kagami sighed and looked away. 

Hearing the story gave Marinette mixed emotions. She felt a little bad for Kagami, knowing how frustrating that must have been to see her boyfriend choose his best friend over her. But that was absolutely no excuse for her to do what she did! 

The violinist just couldn't feel any sympathy towards her classmate. Her choices were completely unacceptable, and it was her own fault that she had lost everything. 

"But never mind that. It's over now-" The Japanese girl said before reaching for her package. 

Kagami looked into Marinette's blue eyes before turning around to leave. Her face was completely emotionless and didn't seem affected by what she had done. She was like a robot; a being born without a heart, unable to feel anything. 

The reality of the matter was honesty just sad and depressing. Perhaps she really didn't know what it was like to be human after all...

"But anyway, thanks for the pie... I should get going now."

No wonder Adrien had such a hard time trusting others, especially when it came to love. And as for Luka's sudden outburst; it all made perfect sense... 

After hearing everything, Marinette couldn't help but feel a little angry. She knew that cheating was wrong, and it really hurt to be on the receiving end. 

The young baker studied the brown-eyed girl for a moment before sighing, not knowing what to think. 

"What you did is honestly terrible, and I can see why neither of them like you very much... But I guess you learn from your mistakes."

Taking a moment to process her classmate's words, Kagami sighed, "Yeah I know... But it doesn't even matter any more..." She gave her acquaintance a single nod before heading out of the door with her mother's gift in her hands. 

A small part of her wished that she could go back in time and change the past, but she knew deep down that it was already far too late... 

Marinette was having a hard time processing everything, and couldn't help but wonder if Kagami only said what she said in order to receive sympathy... She seemed really hesitant, and the designer couldn't help but wonder if it was all just an act. 

And thankfully the school trip was coming up soon, so she would get the opportunity to talk to both Adrien and Luka about everything. 

***


	12. Chapter Eleven

Marinette stood outside the bus with her luggage in hand as she attempted to catch her breath. 

Frustrated with herself for being so scatterbrained, the clumsy teen scolded herself. Even though she had set her alarm clock, she had still managed to somehow sleep through it. 

Although she was fairly used to being late on a daily basis and it rarely bothered her, today was different. It wasn't an ordinary school day, because she was supposed to go with her classmates to Germany for the school trip. 

Marinette had never traveled outside of the country before, so she couldn't even begin to express how excited she was to see so many new things. She absolutely loved visiting new places, and she had always dreamt about traveling the world. So in her mind, she was content knowing that today, one of her many dreams would undoubtedly become a reality. 

Hesitating for a moment, the girl deeply inhaled before deciding to hop onto the bus. 

She felt unbelievably awkward when all eyes immediately stared at her. She swallowed hard and quickly looked down, in hopes to minimize the tension that continued to build with every passing moment. 

When she accidentally made eye contact with Mlle Bustier, she instantly regretted it. 

"Late again, Mlle Dupain Cheng! I know that you have a tendency to always be late, but today I expected better of you." The red-headed woman scolded the stressed teenager. "What is your excuse this time?" 

"I... Well, you see-" 

"You know what? Never mind..." Mlle Bustier pinched the bridge of her nose as she frowned, irritated by the student's lack of responsibility, "Just go and sit down!" 

The bluenette didn't reply, but obeyed her teacher's orders. She quickly browsed around, searching for an open seat. 

She felt relieved when she suddenly spotted an open seat next to a window. Without looking at anyone, she anxiously raced over to the chair. 

When she successfully found her way over to the vacant seat, her heart instantly sunk. She was met by a pair of warm turquoise eyes, and a big, bright smile. The redhead immediately got up from his seat, while gesturing for her to come forward. 

Marinette couldn't help but question whether or not her own eyes were deceiving her. The boy's smile was so kind and welcoming, that it was almost as if he was back to his old self again. His eyes seemed to sparkle with hope when they found the girl who he still loved. 

Looking at her again, he couldn't help but feel a little sad, knowing that it was over between them. And the worst part of all was the fact that it was his own fault...

The regretful boy tore his gaze away from her while sighing in defeat. His heart cracked, but his face didn't show it. Trying to remain strong for her, Nathaniel attempted to give her a small smile. 

"H- Hi, Marinette. How are you doing this morning?" He quietly asked while gently grazing a hand over her bicep. 

Marinette instantly froze when his hand came into contact with her delicate skin. Her heart began to pulsate as a shockwave of panic simultaneously struck her entire being. The enormous amounts of fear were just too much for the helpless teenager to handle. The anxiety gripped onto her like a leech, sucking out every last ounce of happiness, until nothing but terror remained. 

"What... No, stop!" She loudly shouted while aggressively swatting his hand away. 

The artist stared at her in bewilderment. His thin lips slightly parted as he quickly brought his hand back to his side. His once joyful expression immediately dissipated, leaving behind nothing but pain and regret. The boy seemed hurt by his ex's unexpected outburst, but he knew that he should have seen it coming. 

He didn't blame her for acting that way towards him. After all, he deserved everything he got, because it was his own damn fault that Marinette wanted nothing to do with him. 

The reality of the matter was extremely agonizing for him, but he knew that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. It was over and that he understood all too well, but it was still very hard to try and accept. 

When he eventually realized that everyone was staring at them both, he glanced over at Marinette with pleading eyes. He wasn't exactly sure what she was thinking, but he just hoped that she wouldn't say anything; especially not now, in front of everyone! 

The boy could feel his chest tighten, struggling to catch his breath. His heart was beating faster than ever, as the anxiety began to slowly take control over his mind. Although he knew that he didn't deserve anything, he just hoped and prayed that the bluenette would be kind enough to leg go of the past. 

Marinette felt very unsure. Without having to even say anything, she knew exactly what Nathaniel wanted. She knew that he wanted her to remain silent about everything that had happened between them. 

Deep down she didn't want to speak up, at least not yet. It wasn't the time to be all emotional. Maybe one day, when she was ready to think about it again, she would tell someone, but that day was just not today. 

Finally knowing what to do, Marinette merely nodded her head, but chose not to make eye contact with the artist. 

Nothing but a deep, uncomfortable silence filled the bus, as all eyes fell on her. At that exact moment, all she wanted was to run away and never return. She was displeased by the way she had acted, but everything about it was just too familiar... 

His single touch brought back horrendous memories, which she would never ever forget! It was just too vivid, and she was absolutely terrified of having to relive those dreadful moments for a second time. 

Students began to quietly whisper amongst themselves, as they watched the scene unfold before their very eyes. They honestly didn't know why their classmate had reacted the way she did, but that didn't change the fact that they were starting to draw their own false conclusions about the matter. 

Just then, Mlle Bustier stood up from her seat before looking towards the back of the bus; wondering what all the hype was about. 

Seeing that one of her students were standing in the middle of the walkway, the middle aged woman suddenly frowned.

"Marinette! What is the problem now?" The teacher automatically crossed her arms, while impatiently waiting for a response. 

Her fingers began to tremble as she shamefully looked at Mlle Bustier, "Noth... Nothing! I'm s... Sorry... I thought I saw a bug-mouse- I mean a mouse on my seat, but I guess it was just my imagination," she nervously laughed as she pointed to the empty chair. 

The lady with the strawberry-blonde hair raised an eyebrow, but quickly shook her head in disapproval. She could feel a migranine coming along, which only seemed to intensify her frustration. 

"... Marinette... Okay, but please keep the screeching to a minimum in the future! And please go and sit down, as we are about to leave." 

After the bluenette slightly nodded her head, Mlle Bustier sat down and rubbed her temples, as she attempted to minimize the intensity of the unwanted noise. 

Marinette sadly turned around. Right there, she felt like a failure because she was unable to control her fears. It was as if she couldn't control anything anymore. She would always let her emotions get the better of her, which was definitely one of her many downfalls...

As she was about to sit down next to Nathaniel, she heard her name being called out from the back of the bus. Hesitating for a moment, the baker girl decided to take a peak. 

Her blue eyes immediately found her best friend, who was happily waving at her. In that moment, she couldn't even begin to express how relieved she felt, knowing that she wouldn't have to sit next to Nathaniel. 

"Marinette, girl! Come and sit with us!" Alya shouted while frantically waving her arms up in the air. 

The bluenette was extremely thankful that her best friend had saved her from her ex. She gave the redhead an apologetic glance, while mouthing the words, 'I'm sorry' and left. 

Marinette jogged over to the back of the bus without looking back. Her heart was still racing, but she imagined that it had to be as a result of the tons of adrenaline which were being pumped into her system at an alarming rate. 

The girl placed a hand over her chest and sighed in relief when she saw her other friends sitting next to the confident reporter. 

Right in the middle, between Alya and Adrien was an open seat. The violinist naturally assumed that that's where she was going to sit, so she quickly walked towards it without even thinking. 

But just as the clumsy teenager was about to sit down, the bus began to move. The inertia instantly sent her flying right into Adrien... 

There wasn't even a second to register what had just happened. 

At lightning speed, the blond reacted, using his cat-like reflexes, he caught Marinette. He wrapped his masculine arms around her petite frame; placing one hand on the top of her back, and another on the top of her hip, which was slightly exposed. As his fingers thoughtlessly brushed along her bare skin, it instantly sent countless shockwaves of electricity surging throughout her entire body. 

When Marinette realized the very awkward position that she was in, her eyes grew wide, and her heart began to violently pound within her chest. She instantly felt weak to the bone; star-struck by his protective attitude and unexpected strength. 

On the one hand she was dying on the inside, crushed by the all the humiliation caused by her own clumsy nature. But on the other hand, it felt like she was where she was meant to be. It was a very strange feeling considering the fact that her position was far from ideal. But being there, in Adrien's arms just felt right somehow... 

Marinette couldn't understand why, but the way his hands were softly grazing against her skin alone, was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was incomprehensible, unnatural and somewhat surreal, yet deep down the helpless young lady couldn't help but like the feeling. 

As she hesitantly gazed deep into his stunning forest-green eyes, she immediately blushed a dark shade of crimson red. 

Adrien felt his cheeks heat up as he continued to hold her in his arms. He was actually really enjoying the moment, but he could never tell her that! 

The exact moment his longing eyes found those unsure, magnificent ocean-blue ones, he shyly looked away. He couldn't look at her for a single moment more, in fear that he would drop her. She was as light as a feather, but he couldn't trust himself nor his unpredictable emotions. 

The model could feel his body begin to tremble, yet he couldn't even do anything about it. It was a terrible feeling; not being in control, especially in front of her. The girl who had a spell on him, yet she wasn't even aware of it. The sweet, innocent look in her eyes alone, was enough to cause an eruption of fear to devour his fragmented soul. 

He felt trapped and alone, not knowing how to properly process everything. She made him feel powerless, and for that very reason, he instantly knew that he was swimming in dangerous waters. 

Without saying anything, the nervous blond quickly pulled Marinette up. He made sure that she was standing firmly before relaxing his grip around her slender body. 

She gave him a weak smile as she attempted to meet his eyes; in hopes to defuse the unbearable awkwardness that was beginning to weigh them down. The bluenette was extremely flustered and her small body was slightly shaking. 

Still holding onto her, Adrien awkwardly asked, "Y... You okay..?" 

Marinette hesitantly looked up at her friend as she attempted to speak, but no words came out of her mouth. She felt herself tremble when his gorgeous green eyes found her crystal blue ones. At that moment she felt exposed; it was almost as if he was staring deep into her imperfect soul, causing her to feel vulnerable and afraid. 

"I... Uhm... Yep! Sorry for falling for you-" 

The blue-eyed girl instantly regretted her choice of words. She instinctively blushed again when she realized that Adrien's hands were still holding onto her hips. 

"On you! Not for you!" She hid her burning face in her hands; wishing that the earth would just open up and swallow her whole! 

Realizing where his hands where positioned, Adrien quickly let her go and anxiously rubbed the back of his neck; cringing because of the infinite amounts of embarrassment. 

He gave her an awkward smile, before reverting his gaze to the floor, in hopes to conceal his raging nerves. 

"It... It's okay... It's no b... big deal, really..." The blond nervously responded. 

"Th... Thanks..." Marinette mumbled under her breath. 

A moment of silence had passed by, before Nino, who was sitting next to Alya, mischievously smirked. He leaned forward, reached over his girlfriend then glanced over at Marinette. 

"If you like my bro THAT much, you should just ask him to 'Mari' you!" The DJ said while chuckling at his own joke. 

Marinette looked at Nino with eyes as wide as saucers. She couldn't believe that he would embarrass her like that in front of everyone, especially in front of Adrien! Her stomach began to twist with nausea, and it wasn't due to the motion of the moving bus... 

When Alya saw Marinette grimacing at Nino, she immediately gave her boyfriend the death glare, and elbowed him in the gut. 

"Ow... That hurt!" Nino shouted while holding onto his throbbing stomach. 

"Serves you right!" 

Nino was about to protest, but stopped himself when Alya leaned over to whisper something in Marinette's ear. When the DJ saw that, he crossed his arms and looked out of the window; feeling annoyed that no one appreciated his 'brilliant' sense of humor. 

Whispering, the Hazel-eyed girl stared at her friend, "But Nino has a point, you know?" 

"What!?" The bluenette whisper-yelled at her friend's crazy suggestion, "Seriously... This again!" 

Alya gave her friend the 'look', "Just look at how red you both are! It's so obvious that you like each other! Maybe... You should ask him to be your partner for tomorrow's scavenger hunt. Then you can confess your feelings to him..." She made sure to be extra quiet, making sure that no one else could hear their private conversation. 

"Are you insane!" 

Marinette received a few strange glances from the students who were sitting in close proximity to them. 

She quickly covered her mouth, wishing that she hadn't said that out loud.

"Are you insane!" She repeated, but more quietly this time, "I don't like him like that! The blush was merely due to embarrassment. Nothing more, nothing less!" Marinette sighed as she thought about what her best friend had suggested, "And Luka already asked me to be his partner..." 

"Oh... What a shame..." The girl with the ombré hair gave Marinette a questioning glance, "But I'm telling you... I'm onto something here. I mean just look at how red his face is!" 

The young designer gave Alya an unsure look before stealing a glance at the blond who was sitting next to her. He had an absent-minded expression plastered upon his face, but the red blush was still present on his cheeks. 

But Alya was right... She had never seen him THAT red before, but she merely shrugged her shoulders before looking away. 

"So..? He's embarrassed because all eyes were on us! It's just natural after all... I mean he hates the spotlight, so it's obvious that he was feeling too overwhelmed by all the unwanted attention!" 

Alya looked at Marinette with scepticism in her hazel eyes. She was finding it very difficult to believe that her best friend couldn't see how obvious it was. She sighed in defeat and frowned in frustration. 

"Okay, whatever you say... And what's your deal with Nathaniel?" She quickly changed the subject, remembering how agitated her friend had acted just moments before. 

Marinette was a little taken back by Alya's unexpected question. She felt herself tense up, "Uh... It's... Well, you know... I-I'll tell you later..." 

Her tone was very serious, which caused Alya to frown in confusion. Marinette was definitely hiding something, and that made the reporter worry. 

Alya was a little anxious, but she nodded her head; respecting her friend's privacy, "Okay." 

When Alya sat back in her seat, Marinette looked over to her right side. Next to Adrien, was Luka who was wearing his earphones. The baker assumed that he was listening to music, because his eyes were closed and he seemed to be fast asleep. He looked so peaceful and she couldn't help but wonder how he was doing. 

He didn't seem to be taking the breakup very well, especially considering the fact that he seemed to really love Chloé. Marinette didn't really know the reason why they split up, but she couldn't help but feel really bad for the guy. 

He was so kind and understanding, and he always put the needs of others above his own. But now, the blue-eyed boy was lost and alone. His usual calm, fun-loving self was no where to be found. 

He tried to cover up his sadness with a fake smile, but she could see right through him. He was unusually quiet, because he was aimlessly trying to forget everything. 

The young designer wished that she was sitting next to him, but she was still greatful that she would be spending some time with him tomorrow. Maybe that way she would be able to talk to him, and hopefully help him to get his mind off of things... 

When green met blue for the very last time, Marinette immediately looked away and sat back in her seat. She felt the burning blush return, when she remembered how Adrien's hands felt upon her sensitive skin. 

If she didn't like Adrien in THAT way, then why did she feel such intense, unexplainable emotions when he touched her? 

She shook her head while reaching for her airpods, in hopes to distract herself from all those ridiculously absurd thoughts. 

She closed her eyes and let the soothing tunes of classical music consume her, until she found herself falling into the illogical realm of unconsciousness. 

***

The bus ride took forever, but they eventually arrived at their destination. Everyone was happy to finally stretch their cramping legs, and head over to their hotel rooms. 

Marinette was the last one to get off of the bus. Once everyone scattered the area, she slowly made her way over to the luggage compartment. 

It took a moment for her to find her suitcase, but when she did, she reached over to grab it. As her hand moved over to grip the handle, another hand beat her to it. 

Pulling the pink bag out from its hiding spot, Adrien gave his friend a small smile, "Is this one yours?" 

For a second, Marinette seemed to have lost her words. She looked into his bright green eyes, and quickly nodded her head without saying anything. 

The model handed the bag to her while rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a little awkward when he remembered the incident that had occurred earlier that morning. He was unable to meet her gaze, but tried to smile nonetheless. 

"Thanks, Adrien. Uhm, I should get going..." She awkwardly replied as she took the bag from him. 

He quickly nodded his head in agreement. She was really tired from the long trip, so he assumed that she would probably want to get some rest. Besides, there wasn't any reason that would make her want to stay. 

"Yeah, okay sure. No problem! I totally understand..." 

The bluenette gave the blond a quick smile, before turning around, "Th-Thanks." 

Although the blond secretly wanted Marinette to stay for a little while longer, he knew that it was merely wishful thinking; yet again. 

Suddenly, an idea came to mind. He needed a reason for his crush to say and talk to him. He really wanted to have a deep, meaningful conversation with her, but that just wouldn't work, at least not yet. 

The only logical thing he could come up with, was asking her if she would like to team up with him for tomorrow's history game. Each student was supposed to already have a partner by now, but Adrien was just hoping that Marinette hadn't picked one yet. 

Although it wasn't exactly the end of the world if she had already chosen someone else, he knew that he would have to be paired up with either Chloé or Lila. And to him, neither of those options seemed very appealing. 

Taking in a deep breath, he quickly gripped onto his friend's wrist. He made sure to be extra careful, not wanting to hurt her in even the slightest way possible. 

"Wait!" Adrien quickly let go of her wrist when she turned around to face him, "Uhm... Would you perhaps like to be par... Partners tomorrow? If you say no, I totally understand-" 

Marinette was silent for a moment, processing everything. She wondered why he asked her that so late, especially considering that the game was tomorrow. But knowing Adrien, he had probably just forgotten to ask someone...

"I'm very sorry, Adrien... But I already agreed to be Luka's partner," she quickly gave him a sympathetic look. "It's not that I don't want to be your partner, or anything like that-" 

The blond model immediately cut her off, "It's okay! It's no big deal..." He shrugged his shoulders, but his eyes seemed to conceal the slightest ounce of disappointment. 

Deep down he was crushed. He wanted nothing more than to be her partner, because that way he would get the chance to spend some extra, additional time with her. And he wouldn't even need to give her a reason why...

"Are you sure..? If you had asked me sooner, I would have said yes... Perhaps I could help you to find a partner, although I'm sure that that will be quite a challenge, since I think most people already have one-" 

The green-eyed boy held out his hands, which immediately caused the female to stop rambling. 

"Don't worry about it. It's alright... I'll be fine- But besides that, weren't you headed to your room?" 

Marinette immediately frowned. The tone of his voice was unfamiliar. And due to that solemn reason, she felt rather confused. He seemed a little hurt by her honest response, but the young lady couldn't seem to understand why. 

Not knowing how to respond, she gave him an unsure expression, "... Y-Yes I was..." 

Adrien gave the girl a small smile before gently tapping her shoulder. He didn't say anything as he turned around to leave. 

He secretly wished that he had asked her first, but it was too late now. He knew that she still had feelings for Luka, so it was obvious that she would have chosen the talented guitarist over him... It was sad knowing that he had undoubtedly lost another chance yet again. 

As Marinette watched him fade away into the hotel, she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. She knew that he was holding something back, but she couldn't tell what exactly. 

She instantly paused when she thought about what Alya had said. Did Adrien really like her? The thought was utterly ridiculous, but there was a small part of her that wanted to believe it was true. 

Adrien had changed A LOT in the past couple of months. He was still cold and condescending at times, but he was definitely kinder and more considerate of other people's feelings. His true self was beginning to reveal itself, and Marinette honestly, truly liked what she saw. 

The boy with the beautiful golden locks and stunning emerald green eyes was the definition of perfection in the eyes of society. But Marinette had come to learn that that as completely untrue. 

He was broken and suffered a lot of pain and rejection in his life. He used his model image to conceal his insecurities. He built up an emotional wall so thick that no one could get through to the other side. 

Marinette's heart really went out to him, and she longed to get to know him better. 

"Marinette..!" 

The girl with the raven hair was instantly shaken from her daydreams when she heard her name being called. She frantically turned in the direction of the voice, and playfully rolled her eyes when she saw Alya standing in front of the entrance of the hotel. 

Alya looked at her friend through her spectacles, "Girl, Have you looked inside yet? Dieses Hotel ist schön!" 

Marinette raised an eyebrow, "Alya, Since when do you speak German?" 

"I've been practicing! It's no use going into a country, and not even knowing the language... Besides, if a local is gossiping about me behind my back, at least I'll know what they are saying!" 

Marinette just laughed. Her best friend had always managed to find some way to brighten up any dull atmosphere. And that's one of the many reasons why she loved spending so much time with her. She was an amazing person, and Marinette was just so greatful to have her in her life. 

The two friends continued to chat amongst themselves as they made their way over to their hotel room. 

The atmosphere was wonderful, and the building was absolutely stunning. It was breathtaking really. Marinette was filled with happiness as she pictured what the following day would potentially have in store for her. She couldn't help but beam with excitement. 

Alya, seeing Marinette's suspicious smile, gave her a playful nudge in the side and winked, "Thinking about a certain blond I see..." 

"Alya! Can you just drop it already! I've already told you like a thousand times... He's just a friend!" She rolled her eyes in a defensive manner. 

Alya looked at Marinette with skepticism in her eyes, "Sure... Whatever floats your boat..." 

But truth be told, Marinette was having a hard time believing her own words. Was Adrien really 'just a friend'? 

***


	13. Chapter Twelve

Lying in bed, Marinette let the very welcoming silence of the evening consume her agitated mind. It had been an incredibly long day, yet for reasons unknown to her, she just couldn't seem to fall asleep... 

Her body was physically exhausted, and her eyes were sagging due to the immense weight of all the sleeplessness they were trying to resist, yet her mind was still wide awake. 

Blond hair and green eyes took up most of her thoughts. She couldn't stop thinking about her very good friend Adrien. Not knowing why he was the star of her daydreams, the frustrated young lady rested a hand upon her forehead as she began searching for an answer. 

Even though she still had feelings for Luka, Marinette couldn't help but question why she found herself fantasizing about the mysterious teen model. It wasn't like she wanted to think of him, especially not in a romantic way, yet her mind betrayed her without a second hesitation. 

There was just something in the way he was always so willing to drop everything and help her, that made her heart jump for joy. That damned sweet smile and those familiar, yet somewhat unnatural emerald green orbs, gave the helpless girl a sense of hope. Because of him, she now knew that anything was possible. 

She didn't know what the strange, warm feeling that was right in the center of her gut was, but she had to assume that it was indeed something good. 

It was like she was drawn to him in a way that seemed rather crazy and kind of illogical. It was a bond stronger than friendship, yet weaker than love. There was a distinct attraction she felt towards Adrien, but even now, she refused to admit that she had feelings for him. After all, he was just a friend... Right..?

It really was a confusing thought, which was slowly but surely starting to drive her to the point of insanity. 

Silently groaning, she pulled off her blankets and decided to exit her bedroom, in order to take a solidarity walk down the unnaturally quiet passage. She was hoping that the wonderful evening air would help to clear her unsteady mind from all the unwanted nervousness. 

Making sure to not wake Alya up, the bluenette softly closed the door behind her.

Quietly exhaling in relief, she turned around and started heading in the opposite direction. Taking in every single detail of the stunning hotel, the girl couldn't help but smile at all of its hidden beauty.

As she continued to make her way down the extremely long hallway, she suddenly heard a faintly familiar sound. It sounded like crying coming from the public area, which was just a few feet away. 

Marinette could immediately feel a lump in her throat. She was instantly conflicted, not knowing whether to look and see who it was, or to rather go back to her room without discovering the truth.

Leaning up against the wall while her heart continued to pound in her chest, the teenager was beginning to feel more and more curious.

She just had to assume that the silent cries belonged to one of her classmates, since everyone was staying on the same floor. She knew that it had to be a girl, because the person's voice wasn't deep enough to belong to a male. 

Without thinking, she began to slowly pace towards the unknown person. She took in another deep breath before hesitantly taking a peak from behind the other side of the wall. 

As her head eventually turned the corner, her wondering blue eyes suddenly fell upon a feminine silhouette. There, in the far distance, a girl was emotionlessly staring out of the window. She seemed lost and afraid, with only the suffocating darkness to comfort her. 

For what felt like an eternity, the stranger merely continued to quietly sob, while holding onto her knees for consolidation. It was obvious by the position she was sitting in, that the stranger was absolutely heartbroken.

Even though she still didn't know who the person was, Marinette felt very sympathetic towards her, because she knew what it was like to be left all alone. She knew what it was like to cry herself to sleep every night, wishing that the pain would just cease from existence. 

Continuing to watch her from a relatively close distance, Marinette didn't know whether or not she should say something. She was still unsure about the identity of the person, but that didn't matter to her. If someone was hurting, she naturally felt obligated to try and help wherever possible. 

After about five minutes of contemplating her options, the conflicted teenaged girl began quietly making her way over to the upset stranger. 

There was a very distinct feeling of anxiousness surging throughout her body; lurking behind the cracks of her damaged soul, waiting for the right moment to devour its unsuspecting prey. Her heart was racing and her breath was hitched, but despite all of the warning signs, the curious young adult wasn't going to back down. 

As she got closer, she immediately stopped when the unnamed person suddenly turned around before standing up. 

Nothing but silence, followed by a few whimpering sounds could be heard amongst the loud thumping noises which where resonating from within Marinette's chest cavity. The raven-haired teen immediately felt unbelievably awkward. 

Her mind was in two places at once. On the one hand, she wanted to make a run for it; making as if this never even happened in the first place. But on the other hand, she wanted to stay and see if she could try to help. 

Without saying a word, both girls merely glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. 

It took a moment for the stranger to compose herself, but once she was done, she was ready for a fight! 

"Dupain-Cheng!? What are YOU doing here?" The voice angrily rebuked her acquaintance. 

Realizing who the person was, Marinette instantly felt faint. In that moment, she knew that she was drowning in a dangerous territory; and there was absolutely no way of getting out. 

Chloé was pretty ruthless. Every time she would pass her by, the mayor's spoiled daughter would give the baker girl an unimpressed glare, while occasionally making a rude comment about her figure or her outfit. Her mockery was totally uncalled for, but she didn't care. She seemed to get a high from making Marinette's life a living hell. 

In the very beginning, the reserved baker girl would really try to be nice, even though Chloé would never return any of those friendly gestures. Marinette soon came to realize that no matter what she did, she would NEVER be liked or acknowledged by her extremely snobby, very unwelcoming acquaintance. 

She just couldn't understand why Chloé Bourgeois hated her so much... And looking at her now, Marinette could feel the hate intensify by every passing second. She gulped and clenched her teeth in absolute terror. She didn't know what was going to happen, but her mind was giving her all sorts of terrible possibilities. 

Taking a step back, the defenseless girl held out her hands, surrendering before the argument even commenced. 

"I.. I'm sorry... I didn't mean- I-" 

Rudely interrupting the fearful violinist, the blonde harshly verbalized her bottled up emotions, "Just shut up! I'm in no mood to listen to any of your lame ass apologies!" 

Those words hurt. Marinette was used to Chloé saying stuff like that, but no matter how many time she said it, it would always leave a scar. She didn't exactly know why, but she had to assume that it was because she didn't even know what she did. 

Trying to ignore those insults, Marinette decided that there was no use trying to start a fight, especially not at this hour in the night! She came here to get some fresh air in order to rid her mind from all those unnecessary distractions, not to look for trouble! 

Clenching her jaw in frustration, she emotionless stared at the hormonal teenager. For a moment she didn't even bother muttering a single word, but when the blonde started walking in her direction, she automatically knew that it was time to leave. 

Marinette grimaced, "Okay then. I'll just go back to my room-" 

Not stopping, the agitated female walked right up to her enemy before slapping her right across the face. 

She didn't even think about what she was doing. It was almost as if her arm had a mind of its own. But either way, the aftershock was apparent in the way a loud thud immediately resonated throughout the entire room. 

Marinette's jaw immediately dropped, as warm tears began to swell up from within her unfamiliar, dull eyes. She really didn't see that coming. All she wanted was to help Chloé, and this is how she repaid her!? 

The hopeless bluenette couldn't help but feel a mix between anger, hatred and despair. She knew that her rival hated her with every fiber in her bones, but was this really necessary!? 

Still looking at the blonde with pain in her eyes, Marinette softly placed a hand upon her burning skin. 

"You took everything from me! I lost Luka because of you! And because of YOU, I've now lost Adrien too!" The spoiled blonde aggressively yelled out in pain. 

Her face was burning with so much hatred and anger for the clumsy student, that she couldn't even think straight. Day and night, she would blame the reason for her breakup on Marinette. 

From her perspective, Marinette was the one who all the guys liked, but she wasn't popular, rich or self-absorbed. On the contrary, she was the complete opposite, which made Chloé question why someone like THAT was so admirable. 

Before the baker, Chloé was the most popular student at that school. She had guys drooling over her, and all the girls wished to be just like her. But all that changed when the new student, Marinette Dupain-Cheng arrived...

Marinette didn't know why her scornful acquaintance felt that way, but she knew that she wasn't the cause of their breakup! How could she have 'stolen' Luka away from her, when Chloé was the one who broke up with him in the first place? 

And as for Adrien... He wasn't even in a relationship with anybody, so how on Earth did Marinette manage to 'steal' him too!? 

Chloé's logic made absolutely no sense. The boys weren't objects that could be possessed by people; they were individuals who were free to be with who ever they chose! 

Despite the immense pain and anger that she was still feeling, the disheartened young lady knew that she needed to stand up for herself. Taking a step forward, she stared at the blonde with cold, emotionless eyes. 

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about, but I did absolutely nothing wrong!" Marinette raised her voice in frustration, "I didn't 'steal' either of them. How is that even possible!?" 

Clenching her jaw tight, it was obvious that Chloé was furious, "Don't play dumb, you cunt! You know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!" 

Silence. 

Although they were just words, they hurt more than a blow to the head, and they cut deeper than a double edged sword. The bluenette vaguely stared into the penetrating darkness but she didn't have the strength to mumble a single response. 

The planet Earth seemed to stop right on its axis. Time instantaneously ceased to exist. Marinette was no longer a person, she was nothing and she was forgotten by everyone. 

The broken girl could feel the lump in her throat get bigger as she aimlessly waited for death to take her home. It was becoming more and more difficult for her to catch a single breath. In that moment, all of her many insecurities erupted from within her shriveled up soul. 

She was fiercely fighting back the tears that were coming. Refusing to show even the slightest ounce of vulnerability, Marinette put on a brave face. Her lip began to quaver and her fingers started to slightly shake. 

Without muttering a single word, Marinette tightly shut her eyes and began walking backwards. She already knew that she couldn't win this fight. Nothing she said would ever change Chloé's mind. 

But just when she thought that she was in the safe zone, a hand gripped her shoulder before violently pulling her back. 

"I'm not finished talking!" 

The excessive force of gravity felt almost impossible to resist. The baker girl's strength was almost gone completely, but the little bit that still remained was thankfully just enough. She quickly composed herself before slapping the hand away. 

"I have nothing left to say to you, Chloé! If this is your idea of making yourself feel better for what you did to yourself, then tell it to someone else! I'm not going to just stand here and let you walk all over me!" 

Chloé was quiet for a couple of seconds, generally surprised by the bluenette's unexpected reaction. She basically frowned in disbelief, unsure of what her next move would be. But when her rival started walking away again, she felt the urge to scream out her disapproval. 

"You know... Neither Luka, nor Adrien like you-" 

That instantly caught Marinette's attention; and she immediately stopped right in her tracks. 

Smirking, Chloé glanced at her painted fingernails while crossing her arms, "They only feel sorry for you, because they are nice people. They never once cared about you... Both of them only hang out with you because they need your 'talent'. Which by the way, isn't even that great!" 

Was that really true? Were both of them really pretending this whole entire time? Marinette's heart sank when she thought about the possibility of it being true. 

Luka really did seem like he needed a violinist that day when she met him for the first time. He was so sweet and kind towards her, but now that she thought about it, Marinette couldn't help but wonder if Chloé was right. 

After all, he never saw her as a potential love interest, so perhaps he didn't even see her as a friend either... Maybe she really was just a looser in his eyes; nothing more than a mediocre violin player who wasn't even worthy to be considered his friend... 

Even just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. She didn't want to believe it, but the possibility of it indeed being a reality was beginning to destroy her from the inside out. 

And as for Adrien... He had changed drastically since the first time she met him. Perhaps he too was only being nice, because he 'needed' her in the band... 

But how could that be true, when he willingly chose to hang out with her, and they even shared an ice-cream together? And besides that, he seemed to generally enjoy hanging out with her. But then again, perhaps it was merely wishful thinking after all... 

No! She wouldn't accept those lies! 

"You're lying!" She really tried to sound confident, but the doubt was evident in the way her voice began to crack. 

The sassy teen flipped her white-blonde hair in a cocky manner, "Hmm... You know it's true-" 

She didn't say anything more. The mayor's daughter gave her rival a malicious grin before turning around to leave. 

As she silently watched Chloé fade away into the unforgiving darkness, Marinette felt relieved, yet somehow lost and really insecure. She couldn't help but continue to think about what the blonde had just said. She knew that Chloé was just a bully, but maybe, just maybe, there was actually some truth in her words. 

The disheartened violinist turned around as those terrible, intrusive thoughts continued to torment her fragile mind. In silence she made her way back towards her room. Her head hung low as she was just too depressed to care about anything. 

Her heart was broken, and it was beyond repair. Hating herself even more than ever, Marinette let the tears fall. One by one, transparent droplets of personified agony and deep sorrow gracefully trailed down her rosy cheeks. 

Now that she was alone, she was free to express her pain without anyone judging her. It felt good to cry; to let it all out. Without paying any attention to her surroundings, she continued to walk in the crippling silence, until she found her room. 

Not bothering to even clean her puffy face, the unhappy student quietly opened the door. Taking short breaths, the girl made sure that no one in the room could hear her. 

She quickly shut the door behind her, before softly pacing towards her bed. 

Using her hands to guide her through the pitch-black room, she was eventually able to feel the soft fabric of the comforter that was spread over her bed. She felt a little happy, because now she could try and get some sleep, without having to think about anything. 

Without even thinking, she flopped down on her bed. Not wasting a second more, the exhausted teenager decided to call it a day. Still sobbing, she opened up her blankets before peacefully snuggling into her comfortable cocoon. 

When she couldn't find her pillow, she began searching for it in the dark. That was odd, considering that she had left it right there to begin with...

As she aimlessly continued to feel for the pillow, her hand suddenly touched something hard, warm and hairy..? Marinette's stomach instantly dropped when she realized that she was trailing her fingers along somebody's leg. 

When the person unexpectedly moved their exposed limb, the nervous girl immediately yanked her hand away. She couldn't believe that she was lying in someone else's bed! How on Earth could she have let that happen? 

Her eyes instantly grew as wide as saucers and her heart rate instantaneously accelerated. She didn't know whether the person was asleep or not, but either way, she needed to escape before she was caught. 

Taking in a deep breath, she remained as stiff as a pillar of concrete. She needed to minimize any chance of waking said person up. And since time wasn't exactly on her side, she desperately needed to think of an escape plan...

Before she could even think of anything, the body's position shifted yet again. Only this time their movements were forced. After about one second had passed, an irritated groan filled the atmosphere. 

Marinette couldn't breathe, because she was completely paralyzed with fear. 

There was no doubt in her mind that whoever was lying next to her had woken up. The adrenaline began to serge throughout her veins as her heart began to beat faster than ever before. She was absolutely terrified! 

Marinette quickly pulled the covers up over her head. Although she knew that it wasn't a great plan by a long run, it was the only plan she had. 

After about two minutes had gone by, the room was suddenly illuminated in a bright, white light. 

'Shoot!'

It was far too late now; her hiding spot was no longer a secret. 

"What the-" A deep, gruff voice, which sounded pretty annoyed, loudly groaned. 

Still trying to conceal her identity, Marinette tightly gripped onto the blankets. She couldn't risk being caught like this, especially now that she knew that the person was indeed a boy! 

She could get into so much trouble! 

'Please be a nightmare! Please be a nightmare!' The girl softly whispered to herself, hoping and praying that it was nothing more than a stupid dream.

Before she even had the chance to count to three, the blankets were ripped right off of her, revealing a terrified teenaged girl. 

She couldn't open her eyes. The shame was just too much to bare. Even though her eye lids were tightly shut, she could still feel the warm tears streaming down her pale face. 

A moment of unwavering silence passed by before the frightened student felt herself slightly relax. She still didn't know whose bed she was in, but for some reason, she knew that she was safe. 

"Marinette..? Wh- What are you doing here..?" The voice suddenly spoke up. 

It was surprisingly calm, and somewhat familiar..? His tone was no longer aggressive, but rather soft and very friendly. 

She couldn't take it anymore. She was dying to know who it was. Waiting for the right moment, the tearful young lady began to slowly open her bloodshot eyes. 

Staring right back at her, was none other than Adrien Agreste... The girl's heart instantly skipped a beat and her mind began to race with uncertainty. She was having an extremely difficult time trying to comprehend everything. 

'Why did it have to be HIM of all people!?' 

In that moment, she was kind of greatful that it was Adrien and not someone else, because he wasn't someone who would spread rumors. She knew that she could trust him with her life. But besides that, he was her friend. Right..? 

His messy bed hair instantly caught her attention. The way his long strands of golden hair slightly fell over his forehead, concealing his sleepy eyes was surprisingly hot. 

Marinette bit her lip, as she continued to thoughtlessly take him all in. Now that she was close enough, she could see every inch of his perfectly sculptured face; and boy was he a marvelous sight to look at. 

Her eyes began to subconsciously trail down his majestically carved out face, before they fell upon his chest area. The black t-shirt that was covering most of his upper body was tightly hugging all of his well-defined muscles. 

Although he wasn't exactly naked, he might as well have been wearing nothing, because Marinette could practically see every fine outline of his very muscular abs... 

Looking at him now, she immediately felt vulnerable and extremely flustered. Even though he was currently in his pajamas and his hair was all over the place, he was still just as handsome as before. 

She instantly tore her gaze away from him, when her naturally pale cheeks instantaneously turned scarlet with embarrassment. 

Maybe Marinette had never really taken that much notice of her friend's exceptional physique before, especially in so much detail... But now that she was literally lying in his bed, she could definitely tell why so many girls had a humongous crush on him. 

Adrien didn't know why or how the baker girl was currently in his bed. But he didn't even care. She was crying her eyes out, which meant that she needed someone to comfort her. To hold her and to be there for her. She needed him now, more than ever before...

Raising his eyebrows in concern, the blond slowly shifted his position to a slightly more comfortable one. Seeing how unresponsive and somewhat defeated his friend appeared to be, Adrien took the opportunity to try and comfort her. He leaned over before hesitantly reaching for her shoulders. 

The sudden sensation caused the bluenette to immediately look up at him. But she just couldn't meet his eyes, because of the dreadful fear that her assumptions might actually be true. 

Without thinking, Adrien gently placed one of his hands underneath her chin, so that she would have no other choice but to take a glimpse into his imperfect soul. He needed her to know that she could trust him. That he was here for her, and he wasn't going anywhere!

Following the motion of his wondering hand, the vulnerable student was forced to gaze into the utterly vast green landscape of pure kindness. Sitting there, while wordlessly searching his bright, green irises for a hint of acceptance, she no longer felt alone. There was just so much worry and sincerity in the way he was sweetly looking at her, that Marinette suddenly felt weak to the bone; intimidated by his overall exceptional personality. 

His longing green eyes seemed to shine in the artificial light that was illuminated from above. That gave the disheartened girl the faintest ounce of faith, knowing that everything was going to turn out okay in the end. 

Not breaking eye contact, the thoughtful male tried to smile. But his expression fell when his friend didn't replicate the same emotion.

He began searching her face for a clue; anything that would help him to try and figure her out. She wasn't her usual relaxed, expressive self, which was very worrying to say the least. 

Tilting his head ever so slightly, Adrien found himself browsing every detail of Marinette's beautiful face. At first glace, everything seemed to be alright... 

But just before he was about to give up, something unfamiliar was caught in his peripheral vision. When he eventually spotted a bright red handprint imprinted upon the left side of her face, Adrien began to feel very uneasy.

"... Mari..?" His voice was extremely serious.

In that moment, the vulnerable girl suddenly broke down. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer, and for once she didn't even care if he saw her like that.

Looking at him for the very last time through the numerous amounts of delicate teardrops, Marinette propelled herself into his midsection. She was still trying to combat those depressing thoughts from earlier, but right now it no longer mattered... 

If Adrien really didn't care about her, he would let her go, and forget about her... 

As his friend unexpectedly wrapped her arms around his relatively large body, Adrien swallowed hard when reality suddenly struck him by surprise. He had definitely not prepared himself for this!

He didn't know what to do with his arms, feet or any other part of his body for that matter of fact. He bit his bottom lip as Marinette only tightened her hold around his abdomen. 

The way her petite, elegant, feminine body was pressed up against his own body, made his brain go absolutely haywire.

He needed to force himself focus and snap out of his amazing daydreams; almost forgetting why she was even here in the first place. He was being selfish again. This wasn't about him, it was about Marinette! 

In that moment he was really disappointed in himself. He was letting his fantasies get the better of him, but he needed to get his priorities straight!

She didn't feel the same way about him; she had made that crystal clear... And right now, it wasn't about trying to win over her affections by using his amazing charm, quick-witted humor or his extraordinary intellect. 

Right now she needed him. The real Adrien who was sensitive, caring and downright willing to help her. But hopefully, that was enough for her...

Opening his mouth to voice his numerous concerns, he stopped himself when his crush's cries suddenly got louder and more intense. 

In that moment, the green-eyed boy's heart instantly shattered into a million pieces. It was so painful to see the one he loved in agony, yet he didn't even know how to help her. 

Not knowing what else to do, the blond decided to take a leap of faith, and wrap his masculine arms around the girl's small frame. He cautiously placed one hand around the middle portion of her back, and the other around her shoulder blades. 

He was actually quite surprised when she didn't pull away. In fact, she only tightened her grip around his stiff body, which in turn caused a deep blush to cover his naturally tanned cheeks. 

When her tears eventually subsided a little, Adrien began to gently rub her back. The comforting motion seemed to help her slightly relax. She stopped whimpering, but didn't change her position.

Now that she was a little more calm, the male internally decided that it was time to ask some questions...

"Marinette... You don't have to say anything right now... But I just want you to know that I'm here for you. No matter what!" Not letting her go, Adrien calmly cooed in her ear.

His voice caught her off guard, which in turn caused her body to immediately tense up.

Ignoring her change in position, the kind model spoke up again,"I'm not exactly sure what happened, but if someone did something to you... Please tell me- Or at least someone you trust..."

Adrien wasn't sure if she trusted him enough to spill the beans, but he just hoped that she would at least tell someone.

Hearing her friend say that made Marinette's heart race with anxiety. She hadn't thought about telling anyone, but since Adrien brought it up, she knew that someone would find out sooner or later... 

After being used to no one believing her in the past, she highly doubted that anyone would believe her now.

"I-" She attempted to speak through a few muffled sobs.

She didn't even care about the fact that Chloé had slapped her. All she cared about was whether or not Adrien was still her friend. She needed to know how he felt about her.

Although the possibility of Luka not wanting to be her friend was honestly very painful, the possibility of Adrien not caring about her, hurt a thousand times more. 

"Jus... Just tell me one thing..."

Those words instantly made Adrien feel extremely nervous. He immediately started thinking about all sorts of possibilities. Did she hate him? Need advice about a boy? Want help with a personal problem? Or did she somehow manage to fall in love with him, and she was going to confess..?

He shook those unwanted thoughts away. It could definitely not be the latter option... She had openly admitted several times already, that he was just a friend to her. She made that VERY clear! 

Even though he was trembling inside, he was still able to fake a smile, "Y... Yes..?"

Sighing, Marinette glanced into his conflicted eyes for a split second before reverting her penetrating gaze to the ground.

"How do you feel about me?"

The blond model could feel his heart violently pulsate with shock. That was definitely unexpected! Was she asking because she liked him? He honestly didn't know, but that question still terrified the living daylights out of him.

"W... What..?"

Realizing that she hadn't phrased her question properly, Marinette looked up until her bluebell eyes found his unsure ones. Her expression was unreadable, which only made the male feel more anxious.

"I mean... Are you only being nice to me, because you need me in your band? Was our entire friendship superficial and completely meaningless..?" Her voice began to crack.

Adrien could feel himself relax ever so slightly, knowing that he didn't need to confess right at that exact point in time. But after processing everything, he couldn't help but feel a mix between sadness and confusion.

Why would Marinette even question that? He thought that she knew that she was important to him. How could she doubt him like that?

All of a sudden, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. Without even realizing it, his face replicated anger. He knew that this was all his fault... He really made a terrible first impression on Marinette. So in a way, he should have seen this coming... 

Even though that happened a few months ago, he couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different. If only he was nice to her. If only he had given her a chance right at the very beginning. If only he wasn't so stupid. If only... 

Interpreting his ruthless, unwanted intrusive thoughts, the bluenette spoke up, "B- Because Chloé said that you were only being nice to me because you needed my talent-"

It all made sense now... Chloé was always mean to Marinette. Adrien never understood why his childhood friend would aimlessly try to make her enemy's life a living hell. Marinette was always so nice to everyone she came across, including people who didn't even deserve her kindness. People like Chloé Bourgeois. 

The pianist knew that despite all the constant bullying she went through, Marinette was surprisingly strong. After falling, the baker girl would get right back up again, dust herself off and continue on her way. 

But now he feared that Chloé had gone too far. 

Adrien didn't have a definite answer to his question, but the only logical conclusion he could come up with, was that the mayor's daughter was jealous of Marinette. 

When they were kids, Chloé was sweet, kind, thoughtful, and she stood up for others. But when she grew up, she changed. Adrien didn't blame her, because he too had changed. But he was just lucky enough to find a reason to live again. 

The model didn't want to chace his friend away, because he still had a lot of hope for her. Although she had everything money could buy, at the same time she had absolutely nothing. 

Because she kept pushing everyone away, she had no-one left to confide in. Luka was the only one who was willing enough to stay by her side through all the drama and difficulties, but even he was no longer there. 

Chloé was all alone, but it was her own fault. If she had just accepted her insecurities and let go of her pride, her life would be totally different. 

"I'm REALLY sorry about what Chloé said to you, but her words are complete lies! I really DO care about you, Marinette. It's true that in the beginning I was selfish and I didn't care about anyone but myself-" He shyly rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "But the same can't be said for right now!" 

The girl immediately looked up, until her longing eyes found his understanding ones. A slight blush covered her cheeks when his lips subconsciously turned into a tender-hearted smile.

It was impossible to deny the truth in his words, or the sincerity in his beautifully mysterious eyes. Marinette no longer had any doubts left in her mind. Adrien really DID care about her, and because of that belief, she felt warm and at peace.

She couldn't help but smile, "Thank you so much..."

Hugging his muscular body very tightly, the blue-eyed girl could feel a single tear running down her face, only this time it was a tear of happiness.

For once, Marinette was actually happy. She felt comfortable in his arms, which made it incredibly difficult to deny her feelings for him. Although Luka was a very nice guy and all, he wasn't there for her; not like Adrien was.

Lying there, locked in his comforting embrace, just felt so right. Deep down she didn't want this spectacular moment to end, but she couldn't tell him that.

A moment of silence had passed, before the blond softly rubbed his friend's back, "You are ALWAYS welcome, Mari."

A few minutes had passed, but he hadn't gotten a response back. Naturally assuming that all of the adrenaline had been too much for her, Adrien thoughtlessly lifted a few loose strands of Marinette's hair away from her eyes. 

Looking at her now, it was clear that she was fast asleep. With her petite body still resting ontop of his, she looked so peaceful. A genuine smile was instantly cast upon the blond's face when he tucked the strand of hair behind the girl's ear. 

Without thinking, he reached down and planted a single kiss upon her exposed forehead. 

"Sleep tight, Princess," making sure to not wake her up, Adrien softly brushed a hand over his invisible mark. 

Lying there, with his crush in his protective arms was an amazing experience. Even though he was still oblivious as to how and why she had managed to climb into his bed, he was glad that she was there. 

Stealing one final glance at the sleeping girl, the pianist suddenly felt a little awkward when reality struck him like a ton of bricks. 

There was an actual girl in his bed! 

If anyone saw him with Marinette, they might automatically assume the worst! So in that moment, Adrien couldn't have been more thankful that none of his other classmates were sharing a room with him.

He instinctively knew that he needed to devise a plan to make sure no one caught them. But right now it wasn't exactly ideal, since he couldn't remember which room was Marinette's. And even if he tried looking for it by trial and error, he might wake everyone up.

He couldn't do that... He would just have to make sure that he woke up before the crack of dawn, so that he could safely get Marinette back to her own room.

***


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Adrien Agreste was in a wonderful, deep, peaceful slumber, when an extremely obnoxious banging sound echoed throughout his bedroom. Instinctively groaning with irritation, the exhausted teenaged boy squinted his eyes before pulling the blanket up, over his head. 

"Adrien... You have to wake up now. We are leaving in less than thirty minutes," a feminine voice shouted from the other side of the door. 

'We're leaving in thirty minutes... Huh..?' 

The male frowned, not really understanding what that meant. He was still half asleep and on top of that, he had a pounding migranine. Rubbing his temples, he tried to remember what day it was. 

"... Okay, Nathalie... I- I'll be out in a minute-" 

After receiving no other response, the blond wiped his sleepy eyes before deciding to get up and prepare himself for the day ahead. 

As he subconsciously slapped his arm on the bed, a loud thud instantaneously flooded his sensitive ear drums. The unexpected noise, had practically given the poor boy a mini heart-attack. With his heart rapidly pulsating inside of his chest cavity, he was forced to focus his gaze upon the unidentified racket. 

It only took a second for Adrien to register what the origin of the unnatural sound was. Instantly, all recollection of last name struck him like an explosion. 

Finding it almost impossible to believe, the awkward male had to pinch himself, in order to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. After feeling the slight pain surge through his bicep, he began to feel flustered, realizing that Marinette was still in his bed... 

"Ow!" Marinette automatically cried out, while covering her face with her hand.

She was really confused as to why her face suddenly felt so sore. She slightly moaned in agony, before slowly opening her eyes to see what had happened. 

When a handsome blond with fine, chiseled features and a smoking hot body came into her peripheral vision, the girl shrieked in complete bewilderment. An enormous wave of embarrassment immediately crashed over her, when she realized that she had fallen asleep in Adrien's bed! 

The thought alone was enough to cause a dark, scarlet streak to cover her entire face. Her body was so hot that she felt like she was lying in a furnace. But besides that, every fiber of her being was paralyzed with distress. 

She had no idea why see felt so out of control. She was usually always able to get a grip of her emotions, even when it came to the most intense ones. But for some unknown reason, the bluenette seemed to have lost that ability... 

Seeing how uncomfortable Adrien appeared to be, the blue-eyed girl attempted to voice her apologies, but when she tried to speak, all of her words were somehow trapped. 

Adrien, sensing his crush's deteriorating emotional state of unbearable awkwardness, nervously scratched the back of his neck and gave her a very small smile. 

In his mind, the conflicted guy imagined that Marinette didn't want to be there, because she couldn't even meet his eyes. But deep down he wondered if she didn't completely regret falling asleep in his arms, because even though her words made it clear that there was nothing between them, her actions seemed to say otherwise...

Perhaps she still saw him as her best friend. The guy who was approachable and easy to talk to. After all, he was really good at listening, and maybe she felt like she couldn't turn to anyone else but him. 

But then why did she choose him above everyone else? She must at least like him a little bit... Right..? 

Not wanting to think about it any longer, the blond decided to shake those tormenting thoughts away. Every time he thought about it, he would just be left with more questions than answers. He needed answers, but the only way to get any, would be to actually ask Marinette... 

But even just thinking about it was unbelievably nerve-racking. If his assumptions were indeed false, and she didn't see him as more than a friend, it would undoubtedly be over between them! There would be no second chances... He would completely destroyed their friendship, and it would be all his fault! 

Adrien just couldn't risk that... Although he really wanted to tell her, it just wasn't the right time yet. His fear of rejection was great, but his fear of losing Marinette was greater than anything else. 

Suddenly looking at her again, the model felt absolutely terrible for slapping her adorably cute, little face. He quickly raised his brows in concern as he hesitantly placed a hand upon his friend's slightly red cheek. 

"... Marinette, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me for being such a nincompoop... I honestly forgot that you were here..." The blond awkwardly rubbed his hands together, while slightly cringing with embarrassment. 

Without looking up at him, the bluenette attempted to speak again. Her face was still as red as a tomato, and she was finding it increasingly more difficult to even try to catch a single breath. 

Knowing that they had shared the same bed, definitely made her feel extremely awkward. Although they didn't really do anything except for cuddle and sleep, it was still such a strange experience, considering that they weren't even a couple. 

'Do 'friends' do stuff like this? Is this even considered appropriate?' Marinette silently began to wonder. 

"It's... It's fine- I uh-"

She couldn't even get one word out. A million and one thoughts were racing through her mind per second, which in turn had somehow managed to render her mute. 

As if the morning couldn't get any more awkward, the two friends suddenly heard footprints outside of the door. Both Adrien and Marinette could feel their bodies begin to tremble, as their hearts began to accelerate with fear. 

Realizing that someone was coming, the terrified blond gave his timid friend a very concerned expression. He was fearful for Marinette. If someone found her here, there would be no doubt that rumors would start to spread. And if that were to happen, there's no telling what sick, twisted lies would be told about her. 

Adrien was used to people spreading false information about him, because everyone knew him. He was always in the spotlight, and even though he hated the fame, it was inevitable. But the same couldn't be said for the innocent baker girl. The pianist needed to think fast; he NEEDED to protect Marinette before it was too late!

"Quick, hide!" The model whisper-yelled while gently pushing her off of the bed.

Understanding how urgent the situation was, Marinette nodded her head before racing towards the closet. When she heard the door creek open, she instinctively forced herself into the very claustrophobic compartment. 

Her heart was beating fast, and her breath was hitched. She didn't know who it was, but that didn't matter! No one could know that she was there...

When the door finally opened, a tall, slender blonde with baby blue eyes stood in the middle of the hall. She happily smiled and invited herself into Adrien's bedroom. 

"Oh Adrichou! Good morning!" The sassy teen joyfully announced. 

Marinette's heart instantly sunk, knowing that the high-pitched voice belonged to ChLoÉ... Making sure that she remained as quiet as possible, the nervous female cautiously leaned an ear up against the door. 

Unfortunately, she couldn't really hear much, because almost all of the noise was lost before it even got the chance to reach her ear drums. But even then, she was desperate to know what the antagonist wanted. Hopefully she was lucky enough to obtain a clear understanding of why Chloé despised her so much. Marinette knew that that was probably not going to happen, because that brat would never spill the beans to Adrien!

Reverting his gaze away from the closet, Adrien quickly walked over to the blue-eyed blond. Now knowing what she had done to the defenseless designer, the male couldn't even look at her. He felt hurt, betrayed, helpless and a little angry... 

Even though Adrien knew that Chloé had a lot of problems, that gave her absolutely no right to do what she did to Marinette. The agitated fencer had put up with her crud many times before, but he just couldn't accept it any longer. 

He was about to question his friend about the matter, but he decided against it when she started making her way towards him. His number one priority was making sure that nobody discovered Marinette's hiding spot; especially not Chloé!

The green-eyed boy took in a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, as he aimlessly attempted to conceal his raging anger. Inside he was fuming and because of that, he was fearful that he might soon explode. He needed to get his act together, and just hoped that his friend could take a hint. 

He emotionlessly stared at her, "Hey Chlo... Uhm... Why.. What are you doing in my room?" He raised an eyebrow in curiosity and frustration. 

Slowly pacing towards her friend, the blonde glanced down at her fingers, "After coming back from the restroom, I was walking past your room... And the next minute, I heard a loud scream! Did you get hurt..? Are you alright? Do you need something-" 

Adrien wouldn't meet her prying eyes. He began to nervously think of an answer that seemed logical but also acceptable. Placing one hand upon her exposed shoulder, the model softly shook his head. 

"No! I... Uh... Was just watching..." He put a finger on his jawline for a moment as he thought of a good response, "A video! Yes, a prank video! Aren't those just the funniest? Haha..." 

The mayor's daughter raised an eyebrow; she was not convinced. She had known Adrien since they were tiny tots, and in all that time, not once had he admitted to liking prank videos. In fact, he totally hates them... 

Searching his face for conformation, the popular female could instantly tell that he was lying.

"Since when do you watch prank videos?" Her light blue eyes resembled scepticism. 

'Crap!' 

"Very recently actually..." Changing the subject, the boy gave her a fake smile, "But anyway, thank you for your conserns, but I'm going to have to kindly ask you to leave now..."

The tall male nervously rubbed his hands together. He just wanted her to leave, but she seemed very adimint that she was staying. 

Realizing that her friend didn't want her there, Chloé felt hurt. She gave Adrien a blank stare before folding her arms.

"... But why? Did I do something to offend you?... You're acting REALLY weird this morning..." 

Adrien really had to force himself to hold back his tongue. He wanted to scream and shout, and let her know that he knew. But he knew that he just couldn't. At least not right now... 

A moment of silence had passed before the spoiled brat started walking towards the cupboard. That immediately caught Adrien's full, undivided attention. 

Thinking of a quick excuse, the teenaged boy sighed while he walked up to the confused female. He didn't want to appear too obvious, so he thoughtlessly placed a hand on the doorknob. 

"Uhm... I'm sorry, but I need to get dressed-" He mumbled while slightly pushing her towards the exit. 

Chloé's face was burning with anger, knowing that her childhood friend was just looking for a reason to chase her away. She could feel the fury begin to serge throughout her entire body, and she was not impressed!

Angrily stamping her foot into the ground, the blonde pointed a finger at Adrien, "I know that you're just making up dumb excuses so that I can leave! You've never acted this way before... And if I didn't know any better, I'm sure that good-for-nothing, mediocre cello player has something to do with it!" 

Adrien had never before felt anger so intense. There was no way he was just going to stand there and let Chloé insult Marinette like that! He had given the blonde so many chances already, but this was the absolute final straw!

Feeling the bottled up emotions grow more and more intense, he could no longer take it; right there, his anger and disapproval exploded. 

"Don't you DARE say such terrible things about Marinette!! She did nothing to you, yet you continue to insult and mock her senselessly. And this time you even went so far as to use physical force! That was totally unacceptable!" Adrien sighed as his voice got softer, "I mean... What are you even going to gain from treating others so terribly..? " His angry expression slightly dissipated, but his eyes were still ice-cold, "I'm sorry Chloé, but I just can't be friends with someone who's a bully." 

A very intense, deafening silence immediately flooded the space between them. Chloé merely stared at the tall blond with a vacant expression written upon her face. 

Her voice was weak, "How did you-" 

It suddenly all made sense. The only way Adrien could have known about that, was if the baker had said something to him. Chloé was honestly quite surprised, and suddenly felt sick to her stomach, knowing that she had been caught red-handed. 

Now that Adrien knew the truth, the snobby teenaged girl immediately regretted her actions. In all this time, not once had she ever considered the consequences. But damn, the consequences stung like a bee. 

There wasn't even a single doubt left in her mind that she had finally lost Adrien... He was the only one who was willing enough to stay by her side, but even he was now only a figment of her imagination. 

As tears began to fall from her eyes, the mayor's daughter had found her answer within the silence. Knowing that she was no longer welcome there, she had no reason left to stay. 

Momentarily looking up into Adrien's emotionless eyes, the blonde slowly paced backwards until she was close enough to the exit. Reaching for the doorknob, the emotional female loudly slammed the door behind her, before sprinting back to her own room. 

Now that she was gone, Adrien felt empty inside. Chloé had been his friend since they were babies, so it was really difficult to see her go, knowing that they were no longer friends. 

It was such a difficult situation to be in, and he feared that he might have done the wrong thing... 

The endless amounts of confusion really got to him. He had just lost a friend, and it was all his fault... But Chloé had no right to bullying others. Maybe she just needed some time to rethink everything and get her thoughts in order...

Adrien really hoped that Chloé would eventually come to her senses and apologize for everything she had done. He knew that she wasn't someone who would openly admit her mistakes, but maybe this time would be different. Especially considering the fact that it was the only way for her friends to forgive her. 

"Maybe I shouldn't have been so hard on her..." The frustrated male loudly sighed. 

Walking over to his bed, he flopped down, placed his hands upon his head and looked to the ground for some consolidation. He was conflicted, but he didn't know what to do about it. 

After another moment of silence had passed, the closest door suddenly opened. The unexpected noise definitely caught the blond off guard; he nearly jumped right out of his skin. He immediately glanced up from the ground before his unsure eyes found a worried looking Marinette. 

Quickly standing up, he started walking over in her direction. Nervously rubbing his neck, Adrien sighed while hesitantly gazing into her bluebell eyes, "I'm sorry that you had to hear all of that..."

"It's okay! Th-Thank you for defending me..." Marinette's voice was soft, "How are you doing..?" 

Adrien honestly didn't know how he felt. Not looking at the short girl in front of him, the frustrated teen merely hugged himself for comfort. 

"I... I don't really know..." He honestly admitted, "I couldn't just let her continue to bully you like that-"

Searching his miserable face for a moment, Marinette's own expression turned sour. She knew what it was like to lose a friend; so in a way, she understood how he was feeling. 

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around her friend's rigid body. She wasn't sure if words could fix this, but she had an idea that a hug might help a little. 

As the caring bluenette pulled him closer, Adrien could feel his defensive body slightly loosen up. His muscles seemed to relax, knowing that he was in safe arms. Her welcoming embrace was lovely and it was real. For just a moment, he was able to forget about all the drama and unwanted frustration. 

After a few seconds had gone by, Adrien hesitantly leaned forward. Without thinking too much, he pulled her towards his rock-hard chest. It was a strange feeling, but he couldn't deny the fact that he felt at home. Standing there while hugging her tightly just felt so right. 

The model couldn't help but smile, because Marinette always knew how to make him feel better. He was SO greatful for Marinette's friendship, because even though he didn't even deserve it, she still chose to stay; even though he was once such a huge douchebag!

Interrupting the almost purrfect moment, Marinette regretfully let him go... 

"Oh Adrien... I'm really sorry about everything that just happened... I know that you and Chloé have been friends for a really long time, and it's really difficult to let her go. But you did the right thing! You have no reason to feel guilty..." Marinette paused for a moment when she remembered how Adrien was so willing to defend her, "And again... Th- Thank y- you for standing up for me like that. That was... really cool of you," she slightly blushed as she tucked a strand of raven hair behind her ear. 

"I know, but I still feel kinda bad..." Staring into her stunning ocean blue eyes, the blond attempted to smile, "And you're very welcome. Nobody deserves to be treated like that, and if Chloé doesn't change, I'm sorry but I just can't be friends with her..." 

There was a slight hesitation in his voice. A small part of him was really hoping that Chloé would change, but he still had his doubts about her. She seemed to exhibit absolutely no conscience... But her tears seemed to somehow say otherwise. 

Perhaps, because she was finally caught, it stirred up something deep within her dark soul. Maybe she felt the slightest ounce of remorse, knowing that even Adrien wasn't going to stick around, unless she changed her ways. 

He was still unsure, but all he could do for the time being was to hope and pray that Chloé would eventually come to her senses, and apologize for everything she had done.

Seeing how unhappy her friend still appeared to be, Marinette raised her eyebrows in a very sympathetic manner, "... I know how difficult it is to lose a friend... Especially one you've known your entire life... But maybe she'll change. I mean even YOU changed, and that in itself is a miracle."

Hearing her say that, the blond vaguely stared at her for a second. Marinette always seemed so optimistic about everything, and that was another one of her many superpowers. Although she had walked through fire, she was still able to look at the bright side of every dull situation. 

"... Thanks Marinette... I really want to believe that, but Chloé isn't like me... She had everything, but even then it wasn't enough for her."

The blue-eyed girl remained silent for a few minutes. Adrien was right; Chloé definitely had everything. She was rich, beautiful, popular and she possessed every single type of tangible thing her greedy, little heart could ever want. But even then, she was never satisfied. 

Marinette couldn't understand why Chloé was the way she was. She didn't seem to even understand the very basic concept of true friendship and integrity. 

The young baker had finally exhausted all of her attempts, because she really didn't know what she could possibly say to make Adrien feel better. Maybe he just needed some time, and besides that, they were going to be leaving in a very short while. 

Grimacing, Marinette slowly started pacing towards the door. In her mind, she imagined that Adrien needed a few minutes to himself; a few minutes to think about everything. 

Seeing her walk away, Adrien frowned, "Is something wrong?" 

Immediately holding her hands out in front of her, the female stopped for a moment, "No! Everything is perfect... I just- I should probably get going before someone finds me here..." 

The blond's train of thought was completely disrupted when he remembered the very awkward, rather unconventional situation they were currently stuck in. 

"Right! Here, let me quickly make sure that the coast is clear," making his way over to the exit, Adrien gave Marinette a sweet smile. 

He slowly opened the door before peaking through the doorway. Seeing that there wasn't a single person in sight, Adrien quickly motioned for his friend to come forward. 

"Here's your chance. You should probably leave now before someone comes..." He said while brushing a hand through his golden locks. 

Marinette instantly felt relieved knowing that her escape was going to be successful. Before she made her way over to the exit, the violinist gave her friend a happy smile, greatful for everything he had done for her. 

"Th- Thank you, A- Adrien... For everything! And I'm s... sorry that you had to put up with me being all emotional and whatnot... And the fact that I uh... Fell asleep in your bed-" She nervously mumbled under her breath while glancing at the ground. 

A slight blush covered Adrien's face when he thought about it, but he just hoped that she couldn't tell. 

"It's fine! I didn't mind at all haha... And of course! I just hope that you are feeling better now..?" Gazing deep into her bright sapphire orbs, the pianist patiently waited for a response. 

Knowing how unbelievably awkward she felt, Marinette quickly looked away. His eyes were just so innocent and wholesome that it was impossible to glance into them for too long. 

As her heart rate began to instantaneously accelerate, she decided that it was time to leave. Smiling, she quickly nodded her head before deciding to walk back to her room. 

"Yes... I'm great actually..."

Taking her response as conformation, Adrien gently tapped her shoulder, "I'm so glad! Last night you just seemed so broken, and it was honestly very disheartening to see you in so much pain..."

Marinette's heart suddenly skipped a beat when Adrien admitted that. It was like he really did care about her, as more than a friend... All this time, he denied his feelings for her, and she even believed him. But now she couldn't help but wonder if saw her differently. 

Maybe he really did like her, but he was just too scared to say anything. The thought made her blush, because her own feelings were starting to change. Although she was too afraid to admit it, Marinette did feel something for Adrien. 

She knew it was true, because he gave her butterflies in her stomach, and his sweet smile, and gorgeous green eyes were intoxicating. At times, the young designer would find herself randomly thinking about her blond friend, and how kind and thoughtful he was. There was just something special about him that made her long for more...

Realizing that Adrien was awkwardly staring at her, the blue-eyed girl quickly shook her embarrassing daydreams away. 

"Well I'm fine now... And it's all thanks to you!" Marinette's lips turned into a tender-hearted smile. She was unbelievably greatful for Adrien, and his immense kindness. 

The model's cheeks instantly felt warm, knowing that he was able to help his friend to feel a little better. He knew that he hadn't even done much for her, and he was honestly not sure whether or not she was being sincere, but he was just greatful that she knew that she could count on him. 

Interrupting his thoughts, the young lady suddenly spoke up again, "I uh.. I should probably get going... I still need to find Luka-" 

Luka... Adrien had totally forgotten about him. Deep down he kind of wished that he could be in Luka's shoes right now, because that way he might actually have a chance... 

He knew that it was selfish to think that way, because he couldn't force Marinette to love him. But it still hurt. Adrien really didn't know how much longer he could keep his feelings a secret. Even if she rejected him, at least she would know how he felt about her. He just hoped that when he told her, it would be the right thing to do... 

The blond's heart was crushed by all the disappointment and false hope he had built up for himself. Right there he hated himself for being such an idiot! 

Adrien forced himself to smile, "Oh-ok... I'll uh... Will see you later-" 

Hearing the defeat in his unfamiliar voice, the bluenette quickly smiled, in hopes to brighten his mood. But when he merely looked right past her, Marinette decided that she should leave. She didn't know why, but his emotionless response had undeniably managed to rip out a piece of her very delicate heart. 

She couldn't help but wonder whether or not she had said something wrong. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out what... 

Without saying anything else, she quickly waved goodbye and made her way back towards her bedroom. 

Watching her walk away was honestly quite painfully for Adrien, because he was finally alone again. 

His unsteady, intrusive thoughts were ruthless. He couldn't stop thinking about Marinette, and the fact that he was unfortunately still stuck in the friendzone. He took in a deep breath and tried to focus his attention on something else. But no amount of trying was enough to save him from the mindless prison he had created for himself. 

He just hoped that the day ahead would be kind to him, but the disponent young man highly doubted that possibility; especially considering the fact that Lila Rossi was his soon to be partner...

***


End file.
